
Class. 
Book 



OOPYRIOHT DEPOSIT 



KEEL AND SADDLE 



A Retrospect 



FORTY YEARS OF MILITARY AND 
NAVAL SERVICE. 



BY 

JOSEPH W. REVERE. 







BOSTON: 
JAMES R. OSGOOD AND COMPANY, 

(Late Ticknor & Fields, and Fields, Osgood, & Co.) 
1872. 



rv 






Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1872; 

By JAMES R. OSGOOD & CO., 

In the Office of thfe Librarian of Congress at Washington. 



Boston : 
Stereotyped and Printed by Rand, A very, <Sr» Co. 



Ka tlft Mtvxaxits nf 
COLONEL PAUL JOSEPH REVERE, 

(20th Mass, Infantry,) 
KILLED AT GETTYSBURG; 



ASSISTANT SURGEON EDWARD H. R. REVERE, 

(20th Mass. Infantry,) 

KILLED AT ANTIETAM ; 

BOTH DYING ON THE FIELD OF HONOR IN THE 
MOMENT OF VICTORY J 

^fjis Folume 

IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED 

BY 

THE AUTHOR. 



OOISTTENTS. 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 

I. 

PAGE. 

Introductory Remarks. — I enter the United-States Navy. — Cruises to the 
Pacific, the "West Indies, and Gulf of Mexico. — Florida. — The Seminole 
War. — Osceola. — Major Moniac. — The Forty Thieves. — Coast of Cuba. 
— Piracy. — A Prize. — Treasure-Trove.— A Cyclone and its Effects. — Dis- 
appointment . 1 



n. 

The West Coast of Africa. — A Waif on the High Seas. — The Old Quarter-mas- 
ter's Yarn. — " The Volador." — The Chase. — The Capture. — The Sargasso 
Sea. — We make Prize of a Slaver. — Her Cargo and Condition, — A Tropical 
Calm. — A Water Famine. — Are saved by Rum Toddles. — Phlogistic Regi- 
men. — A Revolt. — Pandemonium. — Our Deliverance. — Arrival in Port. — 
Moral deduced by a Portuguese Trader. — Monrovia. — Swamped on the 
Bar. — Adieu to Africa 



in 

I pass my Examination. — The Frigate " Constitution."— Cruise to the Medi- 
terranean. — The Baltic. — Cronstadt. — The Czar incognito. — Festivities. — 
St. Petersburg. — The Imperial Family. — Constantino. — At Sea. — A Rus- 
sian Deserter appears among our Crew.— The Pole 17 

T 



Vi CONTENTS. 

IV. 

PAGE. 

Story of the Polish Officer. — Siberia. — The Exiles. — The Chains. — Ra- 
tions. — Death and Burial of the Exiles. — The Prussian Allies of Rus- 
sia. — Dreadful Privations. — Escapes and Recaptures. — Converts to the 
Greek Church. — The Poor Polak. — Lese-Majeste. — The Mines. — Charity 
in Russia. — The Siberian Exile Dead to the World. — Inhumanity and Bes- 
tiality of the Government. — Maxim of the Imperial Government. — Russian 
Servility. — End of the Story of the Polish Officer 21 



V. 

Rome. — Gregory XVI.— An Interview with Letitia Ramolino. — Art Treas- 
ures. — The Coliseum . — Holy Stones. — A Practical Officer. — Sicily. — An- 
ecdote of Calabrian Brigands. — The English Frigate " Barham." — English- 
men fixing the Price of their own Ransom. — Tarifi'for Rogues and for Honest 
Men. — The Adriatic and the Ionian Islands. — Athens. — King Otho. — A 
Patent Yankee Exterminator, the Grandfather of the Mitrailleuse. — Narrow 
"Eacaj^e from Regicide.— Sauve qui pent 



Levantine Society. — Smyrna. — The Casino — The Dardanelles. — Constanti- 
nople. — Sultan Mahmoud — His Skill in Archery. — The ^gean Sea. — A 
Heavy Storm. — Narrow Escape from Shipwreck. — Asia Minor. — Beyrout. 
— Sidon. — A Visit to and Interview with Lady Hester Stanhope. — A Mid- 
night Seance with her Ladyship. — Her Theological System of Belief. — Sir 
John Moore. — Her Famous Mares. — Return on Board S5 



VII. 

St. Jean d' Acre. — Ibrahim Pacha. — His Appearance. — Jafia. — Jerusalem. 
— The Dead Sea. — The Jordan.- Arab Sentiment. — Alexandria. — Re- 
ception by Mahomet Ali, Pacha of Egypt. — Emir Bey. — His Leap from 
the Walls of the Citadel of Cairo. — Kismet. — Portugal. — Spain . — Journey 
with Gypsies. — Pedrecillo. — The Gitanos. — The Order of March. — Evora. 
-Estremoz. — Elvas.- Arrival at Badajos. — Travelling on Horseback. — 
The Spanish Arrieros 45 



VIII. 

Merida, the Spanish Rome. — Roman Bridge built by Trajan. — Its Magnifi- 
cent and Stupendous Remains. — The Lake of Proserpine.- The Ruined 
Aqueducts.— The Circus Maxlmus.- The Forum.- The Reservoirs,- Ea- 



CONTENTS. vii 

PAGE. 

tremadnra. — Its Porcine Products. — The Hams of Montanches. — On the 
Road. — The Confessional of St. Peter. — Robbers.— The Diligence gone 
through by them. — An Irate British Subject. — We have it in our Power to 
relieve the Distressed. — Medellin and Trujillo, the Birthplaces of Pizarro 
and Cortes. — Caceres. — Romantic Ride. — Arrival at Alcantara. — The Fa- 
mous Bridge. — Inscription ........... 53 

IX. 

The Military Orders of Chivalry . — Peculiarity of the Catholic Church. — The 
Jesuits. — Our Journey. — Coria. — Montanches — Placencia. — A Lovely 
Maiden. — Beautiful Country. — Yuste, and the Convent of San Geronimo, 
the Last Retreat of Charles V. — Farewell to Estremadura .... 59 



The Kingdom of Toledo. — Talavera. — Toledo. — Arrival at Madrid. —The 
Royal Palace. — The Armory. — Pictures. — The Unwholesome Climate of 
the Capital of Spain. — The Museo. — Society. — Tertulias. — The Puerta del 
Sol. — I seek a Guide. — An Aficinado. — Journey Northwards. — The Es- 
corial. — A Chateau en Espagne. — La Granja. — The Castle in the Air. — 
Penalard. — Queen Christina.— -Mufioz. — Blasco's Account of their Amours 
and Management of the King, Ferdinand VII. — Away with Melancholy.— 
Segovia. — The Alcazar 66 

XI. 

Col. Reyes of the Spanish Army. — The Road. — Valladolid. — Simancas. — 
Adventure of Manuel Blasco. — His Imprisonment and Release. — His 
Account of the Little Fiasco at the Hotel. — We set forth again. — Aranda 
del Duero. — Arrive at Penaranda. — The Zuniga Family. — Old Castle. — 
Blasco grows Sentimental 74 

XII. 

Story of the Fair Inez. — A Rou6 of the Middle Ages. — His Prodigality and 
Profligacy. — The Abbot's Counsel. — Don Baltazar joins the Crusade. — He 
is highly successful in a Military Point of View. — His Piety. — Reform. — 
Return Home. — Thrift. — Feudal Justice. — Clear Conscience. — Prosper- 
ity.— Gypsies.— Their Impiety and Sacrilege. — The Gitana. — Imprison 
ment illy endured.— A Convert. — The Comadre. — The Old Count smitten. 
—The Golden Chain 80 

xin. 

Continuation of the Story of the Fair Inez.— Determination of the Count of 
Miranda, — July wedded to December. — Description of the Fair Inez. — 



Viii CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

Her Beauty. — Her Spirits. — Her Innocence. — An Old Man's Darling.— 
The Green-eyed Monster. — The Pages. — The Seignorial Throne. — Peril of 
the Page. — His Departure, —Its Consequences. — Sudden Return of the 
Page Damiano de Zuniga. — End of the Story of the Fair Inez. — Lerma . 86 



XIV. 

Burgos. — The Cathedral. — The Castle. — Las Huelgas. — Pilgrimage to the 
Tomb of the Cid. — Miraflores. — The Mausoleum of the Parents of Isabel the 
Catholic — San Pedro de Cardefia. — Bavieca.— Inscription. — Tombs of the 
Cid, his Wife Ximena, and their Two Daughters. — The Start from Burgos. 
— Overtake a Carlist Expedition. — DonaFlorencia. — A Brave Lady. — The 
Soldiers' of Don Carlos. — Arrival before Logrono. — The Skirmish. — The 
Attack. — Entrance into the Town . — A Night Combat. — Daylight. — Martin 
Zurbano. — A Military Execution. — Shocking Episode of the Civil "War. — 
•Subsequent Fate of Zurbano. — Disappearance of Blasco. — He re-appears. 
— We again take the Road. — The Pyrenees. — Pamplona. — Journey to 
Paris. — Exploit of Blasco. — Beranger. — An Interview with the Great 
Chansonnier. — Return to Spain. — Granada. — Pepe Montes, the Famous 
Bull-Fighter. — His Adventure in the Plaza de Toros of Granada. — Indig- 
nant Retreat thence 



XV. 

Historical Retrospect. — Causes of the Decline of the Spanish Monarchy. — The 
Successors of Charles V. — Effect of the Expulsion of the Moors. — Of the 
Discovery of the Americas. — The Laws of the Mesta. — Incredible Folly of 
Similar Laws. — Natural Result. — Paralyzation of Industrial Pursuits. — 
Contempt for every Axiom of Political Economy. — Destruction of the Na- 
tional Prosperity. — Unreasonable Reverence for the Kingly Power. — De- 
generation. — Sketch of Ferdinand VII. — Christina. — Revocation of the 
Salic Law. — Death of Ferdinand. — Revolt of Don Carlos and Breaking-Out 
of the Civil War. — Espaiiolismo the Curse of Spain 113 



XVI. 

Visit to Algiers. — Arab Sentiment. — Abd-el-Kader. — French Soldiers. — The 
Casbah.- Expedition to Blidah. — Skirmish with the Kabyles. — The 
Zephyrs. — Capt. Eylau. — Arrival on the Field of the Spahis.— Victory. 
— An Oriental Frenchman. — I meet Manuel Blasco.- Blidah. — End of 
Poor Blasco in Matrimony 122 

XVII. 

Return Home. — Voyage of Circumnavigation. — Madeira.- Z.inzibar. — The 
Imam of Muscat. — The Eunuch Ahmed. — A Valorous Vizier. — A Coup- 



CONTENTS. ix 

PAGE. 

de Main, and Capture of Mombas. — A Forlorn Hope. — Allocution of the 
Imam. — Success. — The Red Sea. — Muscat. —Bombay. — March of Lord 
Keane's Army. — Splendid Military Spectacle. — Composition of an Indian 
Army. — Sumatra. — "War with Malay Pirates. — Sickness among our Crew. 
Singapore. — China. — We pass through the Bashee Passage into the South 
Sea. — Arrival at Boston. — In the West Indies again. — I experience a Great 
SeaBore. — Tragic Fate of "The Clio" 132 



XVIII. 



i^ 



Cruise to the Pacific in 1845. — My Ship joins the Squadron of Com. Sloat at 
Mazatlan. — The Details of this Cruise previously published in " A Tour of 
Duty in the Pacific." — I here continue this Work as a Sequel to that One. — 
Taking Possession of the Californias, and hoisting the Flag of the United 
States.— Her Majesty's Ship '' Cornwallis," Admiral Sir Michael Seymour, 
is forestalled by our Action. — Com. Stockton. — Gen. Kearny. — Kit Car- 
son. — Expedition to recover the Pueblo de Los Angeles. — Passage of the 
River of San Gabriel. — Combat of La Mesa. — Cavalry Charges of the Mexi- 
cans. — They make no Impression on our Square. — Their Retreat. — En- 
trance into Loa Angeles. — Capture of San Jos6, Lower California, and 
Guaymas. — Occupation of Mazatlan. — Return to Boston 143 



XIX. 

Appointment as Timber- Agent for the United States in California. — Discovery 
of Gold. — Rush for the Mines. — I sail for the Isthmus. — Arrival at Cha- 
gres. — Gold-Seekers. — Chocolate. — Its Uses for the Traveller. — Baron 
Steinbergen. —Our Embargo at Gorgona. — I take the Isthmus-Fever. — 
Start for Panama. — Meet with a Good Woman. — Meet a Friend in the 
Street. — I go to his House and am cared for. — I recover, and embark for 
San Francisco. —Change wrought in that City. — Singular State of Society. 
— I meet an Old Shipmate. — His Remarkable Hospitality. — Anecdote of 
the Maid of Mrs. Gen. Smith . 151 



XX. 

San Geronimo. — Account of my Rancho. — Impossibility of engaging in any 
Agricultural Pursuit. — I resolve to visit the Placer. — Arrival at the Dry 
Diggings. — State of the Labor Market. — Prospecting. — Sales of Cattle. — 
Commercial Ventures. — Successful Operations. — Return to San Geronimo. 
— Visit to San Francisco. — Emigrants from Abroad. — Act as Pilot for the 
Sacramento. — The Peruvian Company of Miners. — Coca, its Use by 
them. — Pedro Beltran.^ Account of a Coqucro ...... 158 



X CONTENTS. 

XXI. 

PAGE. 

Crops at San Geronimo. — Deamess of Provisions. — San Francisco. — Readi- 
ness of the Emigrants in adapting Themselves to the Situation. — Their 
Pursuits. — Weakness and Imperfection of Human Nature. — Interview 
with a Digger. — His Account of Himself. — The Classics in the Diggings. — 
His Advice to me. — Improvements at my Place. — A " Herradura." — In- 
dian Forays on our Horses. — Organization of an Expedition for their Sup- 
pression among my Neighbors . 163 



xxn. 

Rendezvous of Rancheros at Baulinas. — Preparations. — The Start. — Beauti- 
ful Country. — Indians. — The Q-entile Village. — Trading. — Don Pepe Ar- 
menteros. — Sudden Appearance of Don Juan Briones. — Lamentations of 
Don Rafael Garcia — The Gallant "Pinto." — We start on the Trail.— A 
Night March. — Arrival at the Village of the Horse-Thieves. — Lovely and 
Peaceful Scene. — Breaking of the Dawn. — Our Attack and Surprise of the 
Gentiles. — We are Victorious. — Our Magnanimity. — No Material Guar- 
antee of Peace being Available, we seize the Personal One. — Return Home 
and Disposition of the Prisoners. —I resign my Commission as Lieutenant 
in the Navy 171 

xxm. 

Alexander McGregor. — A Remarkable Character. — Description of his Ap- 
pearance. — His Mental Accomplishments. — His Failings. — A Ship Ashore. 
— Flotsam and Jetsam. — A Rich Spoil cast up by the Sea. — Assembling of 
the Rancheros at the Estero de Los Tamales. — The Rancho of Don Rafael 
Garcia. — Rural Festivities. — The Captain of the Lost Bark. — End of 
the Great Fandango. — Submarine Exploit . 180 



XXIV. 

The Golondrina. — Preparations for a Voyage. — My Crew. — A Cosmopolitan 
Company. — Sail for the Lower Coast. — The Gulf of California. — Indian 
Tribes inhabiting the Coast. — The Hiaquis. — The Guelphs and Ghibellinea 
of Sonora. — Their Contentions. — A Brig Ashore. — We anchor near Her. — 
Action with the Indians. — Rescue of the Passengers and Crew. — The Cus- 
tom-House Peculiarities in Mexico. — The Araucel. — Bribery and Corrup- 
tion.— Mazatlan. —San Bias.- Smuggling Specie. — Twenty Years of Pre- 
sidio.— The Captain of the Port.— A Strict Search. — The Captain leaves 
us. — McGregor reveals his Ingenious Concealment of the Gold. — We are 
discovered. — We dispose of the Inspector, and sail for the Offing. — Be- 
calmed. — The Pursuit. — Clear Ship for Action. — British Interference. — 
Are threatened with Boarding.- Resistance.— We Bink one of the Enemy's 
Launches.— The Rest sheer off . 188 



CONTENTS, xi 

XXV. 

PAGE. 

Arrival at Mansanilla. — Agree with the Resguardo on Favorable Terms to ad- 
mit Cargo. — Visit to the Volcano of Colima. — Zapilon. — The Great Bar- 
ranca. — The Volcanic Zone of this Section of North America. — Jorullo. — 
Tuxtla. — Volcanic Sympathy of Action. — Grand and Imposing Spectacle 
of an Eruption. — Return to San Bias. — Sale of "The Golondrina." — We 
land our Cargo. — Tepic. — Leaving Tepic for the Great Fair. — Guadala- 
jara. — Highwaymen. — The Fair of San Juan de los Lagos. — The Meson. 
— Family of the Innkeeper. — Pancho. — A Foundling Castaway. — The 
Pintos. — La Chapita, the Maid of the Inn. — The Close of the Great Fair. 
—Trip Northward. — Arrival at Chihuahua. .,,,... 198 



XXVI. 

The Bolsom de Mapimi. — Silver Mines. — Santa Eulalia. — Working of the 
Mines. — Reasons why Capital is not employed. — Adventure at a Hacienda. 
— An Indian War-Party. — Army of Apaches. — Narrow Escape. — Traces 
of the War-Party. — I bid Adieu to my Friend McGregor. — His subsequent 
Unhappy Fate. — Durango. — The Indians of the Sierra. — Magic and the 
Black Art.— A Friend relates a Tale of Sorcery 



XXVII. 

Story of Bartola. — Witchcraft. — Don Alvaro Lopez. — A Model Mexican Gen- 
eral. — Outrage upon an Indian Family. — Death of the Chief. — Condition 
of his Daughter. — My Friend is called to attend Lopez in Sickness. — Hia 
Malady. — Remorse. — Scene at the Hovel of Bartola. — Incantation. — The 
Odic Force. — Magnetic Influences . — Effects of a Determined Will. — A Duel 
klaMort. — Double Death, and Bartola's Revenge 213 



XXVIII. 

Return to San Juan.— Continnation of the Story of the Maid of the Inn. — The 
Wedding. — The Nuptial Feast. — Its Sudden Termination. — TheSomnam- 
bula. — Disappearance of Pancho, — Melancholy Catastrophe. — The Ceme- 
tery. — Departure from San Juan de los Lagos. — The City of Mexico. — 
President Arista. — The American Minister. — I accept Service in the Mexi- 
can Army. — My Rank and Duties.— Journey to Guanajuato. — Father 
Ipolito. — My Appointment with Him 220 



XXIX. 

The Vial of Lethe.— Insomnolence.— The Dutch Captain. — The Opiate.— 
Recollections. — Curiosity of Pancho. — Explanation. — Dario. — A Weird 



xii CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 
Convert. — An Unseen "Witness —Terrible Scene in the Cemetery of San 
Juan. — Indian Superstition. — Father Ipolito explains away the Mystery. 
— Denofiment of the Story of the Maid of the Inn 228 



XXX. 

Expedition to Morelia. — The March. — The Diana. — Quajimalpa. — Toluca. — 
Hacienda de la Gabia. — A Magnificent Property. ^ — Taximaroa. — Querenda- 
ro. — Our Cavalry engaged. — Ambush in the Defile of Los Trojis de An- 
gangueo. — A Novel Light- Artillery Manoeuvre. — The Column saved by 
Prompt Action of the Artillery. — Mexican Horses and Riders. — Patzcuaro. 

— Success of the Expedition. — Return to the Capital. — Place Hunters. — The 
Hotel de Iturbide. — A Street Acquaintance. — A Promenade. — Agreeable 
Impressions. — An Old Schoolmate. — A Rival. — Mutual Confidences. — 
The Alameda. — Discontent of Valdes. — He moralizes. — The Old Cavalier. 

— Horsemanship a la Haute iicole. — Odious Comparisons .... 232 



XXXI. 

The Chase after the Hat. — Change in the Demeanor of Valdes. — A Free 
Young Lady. — A Siren. — A Recognition. — A Rebuff. — Counter Recogni- 
tion. — Courtesans. — Dreams. — Morning Salutations.— Visit to the Minis- 
ter of the Interior. — Unexpected Rencontre. — His Excellency is cool to- 
wards Antonio • 240 



XXXII. 

A Critical Situation. — Polite Dismissal. — Valdes. — Rapid Exit . — Reflections 
in the Street. —Philosophic Determination. — A Pleasant Dinner. — Mono- 
logue upon "Wine. — Generosity. — The Mistaken Door. — Post Bacchum 
Venus. — Finding an Ally. — Note from the Minister. — The Breakfast. — 
Moral, and End of the Story of Don Antonio Palacios 246 



XXXIII. 

leave the Mexican Army. — Preparations to return to the United States. — 
Leave the City by Diligence.— My Travelling Companions.- Perote.— 
Robbers. — A Shot Right and Left with Both Barrels. — Pusillanimity.- Ar- 
rival at Vera Cruz, and, after, .at New Orleans. — Proceed up the Missis- 
sippi. — Lieut. Thomas J. Jackson , United-States Array.— Astrology. — Jack- 
eon's Singular Opinions. — Strange Prediction. — His Enthusiastic Charac- 
ter 252 



CONTENTS. xiii 

XXXIV. 

PAGE. 

Italy. — StraebTirg,— The Russian Colonel. — The Old French Major's Story. 
— Military Discipline.^ The Army of the Rhine of 1815. — Gen. Rapp. — 
A Military Revolt. — Causes of the Mutiny. — Dalhousie. — The Enemy 
still held in Check. — Discipline preserved in an Army in Revolt. — Success 
of the Mutineers. — Their Return to Obedience. — End of the Revolt —A 
Visit to the Cantini^re of the Fourth of the Line, the Doyenne of the French 
Cantini^res 258 

XXXV. 

Paris. —Major Philip Kearny. — His Opinions on the Approaching War of the 
Rebellion. — Adieux and Assurances. — Breaking-Out of Hostilities. — Sum- 
ter. — Grreat Movement among the People of the North . — Imbecility of the 
Administration. — Bull Run. — Worthlessness of the Militia. — The People 
outrun the Government. — I again enter the Service. — Am appointed 
Colonel of the Seventh New- Jersey Infantry. — Recruits in Plenty. — Arrival 
in Washington. — Condition of the Army. — Gen. McClellan. — Organiza- 
tion. — McClellan's Labors. — His Success . . . . , . . 269 



PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES. 

The Lieutenant's Story 283 

The Artillbrt-Ofeicer's Story # . . 293 



The Major's Story 



316 



The General's Story 342 

Monte; or, The Robbers 355 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 



nj'^HE simple record of tlie career of almost any person, 
-L however humble, furnishes some useful lessons, from 
which may be derived either guidance or warning ; and the 
story of an active life full of vicissitudes and strange ex- 
periences, lacking though it may the graces of rhetoric and 
the riches of scholarship, can hardly fail to point some profit- 
able moral to the few, while it may possibly entertain the 
many. 

These are the considerations which have led me to write the 
following pages at a time of life when my career may be re- 
garded as closed, and leisure has been found to condense the 
diaries and memoranda I have always been in the habit of 
keeping. 

Following the bent of an early predilection for foreign travel, 
I entered the United-States navy at the age of fourteen years, 
as a midshipman ; and, after a short term spent at the Naval 
School at the New- York Navy Yard, I sailed on my first cruise 
to the Pacific Ocean on board the frigate " Guerriere," bear- 
ing the pennant of Com. Charles C. B. Thompson, in the 
summer of the year 1828. 



2 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

For three years I served in the Pacific squadron, and was 
duly initiated into the tough discipline then in vogue in our 
navy, the rigorous practice of which had originated during 
the war of 1812. 

Upon my return I enjoyed but a short respite, and in a few 
months found myself on board a corvette on the West-India 
station ; and, having been transferred to the schooner " Flirt " 
and other vessels, was finally attached to what Avas called the 
" mosquito fleet,'^ — a flotilla of small vessels and boats co- 
operating with the army in Florida. 

CriTising in the Everglades in a barge, exposed to the 
weather for weeks, I found decidedly rough : but, though the 
Seminole War was in progress, no encounters with the enemy 
occurred to mitigate the tedium of my situation ; for except- 
ing a few prisoners I saw at Tampa, including the celebrated 
Osceola, I never beheld an Indian. 

After vain efforts to " surprise " our wily foe, the cruise at 
last ended, having been signalized by the loss of one of our men 
from fever induced by mosquito-bites, and the disabling of 
several others from the same cause; and with the warHke 
trophies of one small squaw captured at a deserted camp, and 
a keg of powder, we returned to St. Augustine. 

Here we found Gen. Jesup's army about to march to the 
Indian country ; and the quaint little Spanish town was alive 
with excitement over the military preparations. 

As I stood one morning admiring a fine regiment of Creek 
Indians, who were being mustered into the service of the 
United States, I was suddenly seized by the shoulders from 
behind, and saluted with the characteristic ejaculation, — 
" Ugh ! " Turning instantly, I found myself in the embrace 
of a tall Indian, naked except for his breech-cloth and red- 
cloth leggings, his head shaved clean save the chivalrous 
sc;ilp-lock; while the thick war-paint prevented me from rec- 
ognizing his dusky visage. The warrior proved to be Moniac, 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 3 

a young Creek chief, wlio had been educated at the Military- 
Academy at West Point, with whom I had been intimately 
acquainted in New York, and who was now a major of the 
Creek regiment. Although he had been accustomed for four 
years to the drill and discipline of West Point, had graduated 
with honor at that institution, had participated in the pleasures, 
and perhaps partaken of some of the pleasant vices, of civi- 
lization, Moniac, upon returning to his tribe, had declined ac- 
cepting a commission tendered him as an officer of the army, 
and had chosen to resume all the apparent hardships and perils 
of savage life. 

Perhaps he was right : but I never knew ; for a few weeks 
afterwards, while gallantly leading his battalion, he was killed 
by his relatives (the Seminoles are descended from the Creeks) 
at the battle of Okeechobee. 

Leaving St. Augustine for Tampa and Pensacola, I was 
ordered to Key West from the latter place, to take command 
of a large felucca-rigged boat, pulling forty oars, and armed 
with a long twelve-pounder ; and received instructions to cruise 
in the Old Bahama Channel, and endeavor to capture a noted 
pirate named Benavides. Piracy was at that time a regularly- 
organized business in the West Indies ; the capital being sup- 
plied by persons in Cuba and the United States, and the cut- 
throats by the " faithful isle." It was very difficult to secure the 
trial and conviction of the corsairs in Havana, however evident 
their guilt ; for the Spanish authorities were notoriously inter- 
ested in the profits of their nefarious calling. It is well 
known, that, not long before the time I am writing of. Com. 
David Porter was tried by a court-martial for landing at 
Foxardo to capture some of these gentlemanly marauders, — a 
rebuke which led to his leaving the profession of which he was 
so distinguished an ornament. 

For a week or two we saw nothing on our new cruising- 
giound except a few small merchant-vessels, and heard of no 



4 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

pirates, until one evening a felucca appeared, crossing from 
Cayo Romano to Cuba, We immediately gave chase, but lost 
sight of her at nightfall. At early daylight she was again 
seen under the land of Cuba, but suddenly disappeared up one 
of those estuaries which inlace the low ground of the coast. 
Making our way into the one we supposed she had entered, 
we pursued our unseen but hoped-for prize up its sinuous 
course, the view being limited by the banks of the estuary, 
which were covered by a mangrove thicket, growing down 
into the water, as is the habit of this plant. I landed, how- 
ever, at the entrance for a few moments, in order to put on 
shore a couple of men provided with means to signal to us if 
necessary. 

After rowing in this way for about ten or fifteen miles, we 
came suddenly, at a turn of the estuary, upon a camp, and a 
bark-rigged vessel lying at a rude pier. Here we landed, 
with the usual precautions against surprise, and found the 
ship to be the French bark " Amedee " of Bordeaux, evi- 
dently not long since captured by pirates. Her cargo had 
been nearly all removed from the vessel, and probably taken 
in lighters to Havana or Matanzas ; but the evidences of a 
hurried "breaking bulk" were everywhere to be seen. The 
sails of the bark had been burned (for we found the incom- 
bustible parts), the rudder unshipped, and both anchors let 
go ; so that it would have been impossible to remove her from 
the place. Many knick-knacks, which apparently did not 
suit the taste of the pirates, lay about, the emharcadero being 
strewn with various " articles de Paris." The cabin furnished 
evidence that it had been tenanted by passengers of both 
sexes ; and it was fearful to think of what had probably been 
their fate, although we met with no positive proofs that mur- 
der had been done. 

In the afternoon I wished to return to the sea, but found 
that some of my men had straggled away into the country : 



KEEL AND SADDLE, 5 

so, leaving the galley in charge of a petty officer, I started 
with a small party to hunt them up, ascending the hills 
which rose above the landing-place to a considerable height. 
Our search was vain, however : we saw no traces of the strag- 
glers ; and, after a walk of about two miles along the crest, we 
returned towards the pirates' camp down a ravine, in the hol- 
low of which ran a brawling rivulet. 

The sides of the ravine were precipitous, and covered with 
huge bowlders, while the dense and almost impenetrable 
verdure of the tropics clothed its surface. I tried to cover as 
much ground as possible with my men, in order to explore the 
country as thoroughly as we could ; for I feared my lost ones 
had stupefied themselves with liquor obtained from the French 
bark. Suddenly one of my scouts high up the bank of the 
ravine shouted to us to ascend ; and, thinking he had tidings 
of the runaways, we scrambled up to his elevated position. 
I found him at the entrance of a hole, or cave, which was 
partially concealed by a bowlder of great size, the ground 
around it bearing the marks of footprints, with staves and 
iron spikes scattered about. Bringing my little band to- 
gether, I delegated a young and agile foretopman to enter the 
hole first ; which he did, shoving his carbine before him as he 
went in, and disappeared from our sight into the bowels of 
the earth. We prepared to follow : but the first who entered 
met the second one returning ; and, as neither could pass the 
other in the narrow entrance, we hauled the last man out 
by the legs. The foretopman reported that he had passed 
into a large chamber inside ; but that, owing to the darkness, 
he could say nothing as to its size or contents. 

Determined to prosecute the search, I improvised tapers 
made of the torn leaves of a book I had in my pocket ; and, 
thus equipped, we crawled in. At about twenty paces from 
the entrance we found ourselves in a circular chamber, evi- 
dently an excavation, some fifteen feet in diameter. Our 
1* 



6 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

means of illumination being scanty, we had not time to ex- 
amine the contents of some kegs and barrels, which, together 
with some old rusty muskets and cutlasses, and other objects 
pertaining to seafaring men, composed the contents of the 
room. 

As we were about to withdraw, one old tar, determined not 
to go without carrying away some memento of the place, 
roUed out a keg before him, thinking, doubtless, it contained 
a supply of liquor; but which, being upset, gave forth an 
ominous rattling sound, that indicated something more sub- 
stantial. We rolled the keg down to the camp, which I de- 
sired to reach before the approaching sunset ; after which, in 
the tropics, there is no twilight. I found, upon my arrival, 
that our stragglers had returned, my fears having been un- 
founded as to their drinking ; for the pirates had evidently 
consumed, or effectually concealed, all liquors. 

Sentinels having been placed around the camp, we went to 
sleep after supper, pleased with visions of untold wealth to 
be secured in the morning at the cave, which we imagined 
must contain the fabulous treasures of Aladdin ; for the keg 
we had brought with us was filled with newly-minted Spanish 
dollars. Shortly after midnight my dreams were inter- 
rupted by a sentinel, who reported that a fire was burning 
brightly at the entrance to the estuary. As this was the sig- 
nal agreed upon in case our presence was required, I had no 
alternative but to start at once ; and we manned our row- 
galley, and sped down the creek as fast as forty pairs of vigor- 
ous arms could propel us. The day was breaking as we 
arrived at our destination ready and eager for action ; for we 
thought it probable that the pirates were returning to their 
haunt, which was as secure a jpuerto escondido for those buc- 
caneers — '^friends to the sea, and enemies to all who sail on 
it " — as could be found in Cuba. 

My lookout men reported having seen a light at sea, which 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 7 

we soon saw, and, boarding the vessel, found her to be His Maj- 
esty's schooner " Monkey " on a cruise ; and her commander 
handed me a despatch from the commander of the United-States 
schooner " Grrampus," directing me to join him at Havana as 
soon after I received it as possible. Reluctant to abandon our 
promising investigations, we squared away the long yards of the 
felucca before the trade-wind, and next morning rounded the 
Moro Castle, ensign and pennant flying, and anchored near 
*^ The Grampus." The secret of our discovery was religiously 
kept, and the keg of dollars divided amongst the crew, each 
receiving about fifty dollars ; and we cheered each other by 
the prospect of soon returning to the cache, and enriching 
ourselves with the pirates' hoarded treasure. 

A few days after our arrival, one of those terrible cyclones 
which periodically devastate the West- Indies came on; and 
it seemed as if the city would be torn down by the mere 
power of the wind. Several vessels were destroyed by being 
dashed violently against the wharves at Eegla ; houses were 
unroofed ; the belfry of a church of great solidity was blown 
down, the heavy bell being hurled to the distance of several 
squares from the building. Ponderous cannon, en barbette 
on the walls of the Cabana, were blown into the sea, and 
many lives were lost. The damage to vessels at sea was im- 
mense ; and the hurricane was long afterwards remembered 
and chronicled as the heaviest known for years. In the 
interior, plantations were ruined in a single night ; millions 
of dollars worth of crops destroyed; houses blown down; 
machinery wrecked; and even ancient landmarks either 
removed altogether, or transported to incredible distances, by 
the wind. 

" The Grampus " and " The Forty Thieves " safely rode out 
this tremendous gale ; and, after its fury had abated, our crews 
were instrumental in saving much property and some lives in 
the harbor. 



8 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

About a week after this catastrophe^ the weather becoming 
settled, and the trade-winds having resumed their usual direc- 
tion, we started again for our former cruising-ground, and soon 
reached the einharcadero, near the underground treasury. On 
landing, we found everywhere marks of the passage of the 
hurricane. The French bark had been completely torn to 
pieces, as if the centre of the cyclone had passed over her. 
A heavy anchor which was upon her deck at the time of our 
first visit, and her capstan, lay far up the hillside, and were 
embedded in the earth as if they had been shot from guns. 
The rude sheds which had sheltered the pirates were tossed 
about like paper ; the whole landing-place had been deluged 
with water ; and enormous rocks from above cumbered the 
ground. 

With doubting steps, and hearts saddened by the sight of 
such terrible havoc, we took our way to the cave ; but the 
fair face of Nature seemed to have undergone an all-pervading 
change. In places where, on our first visit, there were levels, 
now were hollows, or mounds of earth and rock ; and where 
mounds had once been was now level ground. 

The entrance to the cave, the object of so many hopes and 
fears, had disappeared \ and although we searched for two 
whole days with all our force, and brought all our ingenuity 
to bear, we could not discover it. At my previous visit I had 
hurriedly taken the cross-bearings of the entrance by a couple 
of lofty ceiba-trees on the opposite side of the ravine ; but 
these also had been levelled with the earth ; and the huge rock 
which had sentinelled the entrance to the cave had been 
hurled from its lofty place, and doubtless lay undistinguished 
from others in the bed of the rivulet. Every evidence of the 
existence of the cave had been obliterated j and we returned 
to our boat as poor as we came. 



II. 



MY next cruise was to the coast of Africa; and most 
monotonous it was. We spent our time almost en- 
tirely on board ship without society, at sea almost constantly, 
and not daring to pass even one night on shore in that pes- 
tiferous atmosphere. Occasionally a chase of some slavers 
would vary the usual routine of duty, and afford some little 
excitement : but, for the most part, we were thrown entirely 
on our own resources ; and those inclined to such employ- 
ments had ample time for study and improvement. The sev- 
eral ports we visited gave our officers little pleasure or profit ; 
and we all agreed that " the coast " was another Pandemonium 
on a very limited scale. At sea we alternately were drenched 
with the heavy equatorial rains, and scorched by the fierce 
tropical sun ; and the boat service in the rivers was simply 
detestable. 

One day, while cruising, I got leave to lower a boat in 
order to pick up specimens of the nautilus, which are very 
large and handsome in some parts of what is called by mariners 
the Sargasso Sea. Quite absorbed in my saarch, I went some 
miles from the ship, which lay becalmed " like a painted ship 
upon a painted ocean ; '^ and suddenly espied a large object 
rising and falling on the long swell. It proved to be a cask 
covered with barnacles, and, as was evidenced by the long sea- 
weed that trailed from it as we lifted it into the cutter, had 
been a long time in the water. It turned out to be a forty- 



10 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

gallon cask of old Santa-Cruz rum, of fine taste and flavor, 
evidently acquired in its long voyages. On its head were 
branded some almost illegible characters, among which could 
be made out the word " Volador." That night I had the 
middle watch ; and, as the ship went easily along under the 
influence of a light breeze, the old quartermaster at the " con " 
spun me the following yarn : — 

" It seems to me, sir, that I have sailed before to-day with 
that cask which you picked up with such remarkable luck. 
[I suppose that if I had found a diamond as large as the Koh- 
i-noor, it would not have possessed such value as the cask 
had in the old tar's estimation.] Just two years ago I was 
returning to the West Indies from this coast in a clipper 
schooner, a slaver. We were bound to a port on the south 
side of Cuba, and had approached the Sail-rock Passage, cal- 
culating the handsome profits we should reap from our cargo 
of blackbirds, when we fell in with a British man-of-war, 
which immediately gave chase. 

" Our vessel was very fast ; and we flew along before a fresh 
trade-wind, with every rag set that would draw ; and for sev- 
eral hours we seemed to beat His Majesty's cruiser: but 
towards evening our captain took it into his head to shorten 
sail, haul up on the starboard tack, and try to gain the shelter 
of the land under San Domingo, when we might evade our 
pursuer. This ruse is not unusual with slavers, and might 
have succeeded : but, after an anxious night, the dawn showed 
us that our manoeuvre had been anticipated by the commander 
of the war-brig ; for he was in shore of us, and not far off. 
That he was alert was very apparent ; for, although under easy 
sail when we first saw him, his royals and steering-sails were 
instantly set, his courses dropped, and his course altered to a 
point converging towards our own, so as to close ; and soon a 
puff of white smoke from his bow-gun accompanied the rise of 
the red-cross flag to his main peak. The chase lasted until 



KEEL AND SADDLE. \\ 

two, P.M., witli little advantage to either side ; but we man- 
aged to keep out of range of his guns, although we could see 
that he was steadily gaining on us. 

" His best point of sailing was '■ going free,' while ours was 
' close hauled : ' so we took in the steering-sails, and attempted 
to bring the schooner by the wind. The evolution failed ; and 
we had neared him by attempting it, and lost ground also, as 
every attempt to ^luff' was met by a lee helm on board the 
brig, while his occasional shots came nearer and nearer. We 
started our water, slacked up the lanyards of the standing rig- 
ging, knocked the wedges out of the partners to give the 
masts play, and finally sawed several deck-beams in twain ; 
but nothing availed us. We then began to lighten the 
schooner, first throwing over the deck-load and all the spare 
spars and boats ; and finally all the provisions, even the cabin- 
stores, including, I believe, that precious cask you fell in with 
to-day, for I had, on rare occasions, tasted its contents by 
'especial favor. But our efforts were all useless ; and the head 
of our foremast having been shot away, and carried with it the 
jib-boom and head-sails, and the schooner almost reduced to 
a wreck, we were taken by the cruiser, and carried into Port 
E-oyal, Jamaica, where the vessel was condemned, and the 
crew set adrift. I shipped in a vessel bound to New York, 
being without money or even clothes ; and thus ended my 
cruise in the saucy ^ Volador ' (^Flying-Fish ' )." 

Eight bells struck as the old quartermaster finished his 
yarn ; and, having been relieved, I invited the old man down 
to my room to taste again the contents of that cask " he had 
sailed with before." I have no doubt it was the same, and 
that the cask had followed the current westward until it fell 
in with the Gulf stream, which carried it eastward again, and, 
passing by the shores of Europe, deposited it in that great 
receptacle of seaweed and other waifs, the Sargasso Sea, where 
we found it. 



12 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

I believe that some day this enormous deposit of weed will 
be made available for agriculture, as it is especially ricb in 
soda and the phosphates, and easily collected ; while, being on 
the high seas, no nation can claim the exclusive privilege of 
gathering and shipping it. 

Off the mouth of the Bonny we gave chase to a slaver which 
incautiously hoisted American colors, thinking our ship an 
English cruiser ; and this made him a good prize under exist- 
ing treaties. I was directed to take her into port after the 
capture, and boarded her with a boat's crew of sixteen men ; 
while the corvette left us, and stood away for the northward. 

The slaver was a schooner of about a hundred and fifty 
tons burden ; and in this little vessel were confined over three 
hundred slaves, in a condition to which no description could 
do justice. 

The officers and crew had been sent on board the corvette ; 
and here we were left to muse on the comforting assurance of 
the Portuguese captain, that his "cargo" were ferocious ai?d 
untamed savages from the interior of Africa, who, so far from 
appreciating our philanthropic efforts to save them from slavery, 
would inevitably massacre us all in case they got possession 
of the vessel, not knowing the difference between one set of 
white masters and another. They were all under hatches cov- 
ered with strong gratings ; and looking down upon them from 
deck seemed like looking into a certain place, which may be 
hotter, but not more uncomfortable. The slaves were thus 
divided in this vialeholge: the main hold contained all the 
adults of the male sex, shackled by the leg to long bars run- 
ning fore and aft in rows ; and the women were in the steerage 
abaft them, unshackled, but separated from the males by a 
strong bulk-head. 

The tierces of rice and water-casks were in the fore hold ; and 
there were others under the steerage, with a few water-casks 
on deck ; on which, abaft the foremast, were the slave-coppers 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 13 

for cooking, set in brick. On taking possession, I stationed 
sentinels at the hatchways, with orders to permit but two per- 
sons to come on deck at once, through an aperture in the 
grating ; took every possible precaution to guard against a rush 
from below ; and organized such other measures against sur- 
prise as seemed necessary. 

A pretty fresh sea-breeze was blowing, and I had little doubt 
of getting into port on the next morning ; for the low land was 
already in sight, and the wind seemed steady. 

At nightfall, however, the breeze gradually died away, and 
at midnight had ceased entirely; while the absence of the 
usual land-breeze indicated that one of those calms common 
to the African coast, and which sometimes last for ten days or 
a fortnight, had come upon us. 

I had brought in the boat only rations for my men for two 
days, and no water save that in the boat's breaker, — about 
sixteen gallons ; and now my men reported that there was but 
a forty-eight hours' supply of water left in the casks below. 

The rascally slaver's crew had started some of the casks 
before leaving the vessel. What was to be done in case the 
calm lasted? True, we could get ashore in our boat; but 
then we should have to abandon the prize and our " liberated" 
captives. This was not to be thought of : so I went to the 
main hatchway, and took a look below. None of us could under- 
stand a word the slaves uttered : indeed, they appeared hardly 
to possess the organ of speech, so deeply guttural and barba- 
rous was their uncouth dialect, — more like the chattering of 
baboons than any human jargon. Many of them were fine 
athletic figures, curiously tattooed ; and some had their teeth 
filed to a point, this serrated jaw giving them a most demoniac 
aspect when they grinned. As to intelligence, they evidently 
knew not the difference between an American gentleman and 
a Portuguese blackguard; and the change of masters they 
regarded with supreme indifference. 

2 



14 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

The first day passed witliout a breatli of air. We lay upon 
deck under the awning, trying to keep cool, and sheltered from 
the burning sun ; the vessel swaying idly on the long ocean- 
sweU, with her sails flapping, and no sound to be heard save 
a groan from some block aloft, or the jaws of the gaffs as they 
swung around the masts. The second day passed in the same 
way ; two slaves being still permitted on deck at a time, and our 
seamen walking about, and whistling for a breeze. On the 
third day our water which was on deck gave out ; and, going 
below, we found that the slaves had got at the only remaining 
cask there, and had emptied it also. 

Some rain fell, however, on this day ; and we caught about 
ten gallons, which I carefully placed under guard for my 
own men. Several waterspouts formed in our neighborhood, 
threatening to deluge us with more water than we needed; 
thus adding a new and sombre feature to the situation. 

At the end of the twenty-four hours we had no water left, 
and the slaves grew clamorous, and reasonably too ; for thirst 
is the most terrible punishment one can suffer in that heated 
atmosphere, amid the reflections from the glassy sea. There 
was no alternative, however, but to continue to keep them be- 
low ; for our lives depended on retaining them in subjection. 
Our provisions had been consumed ; and we were compelled to 
eat the slave-rice, cooked with salt water, which fearfully in- 
creased our thirst. Under the cabin-floor, in the run, I had 
discovered a half-puncheon of rum and a box of muscovado 
sugar ; which prizes had been carefully watched to prevent 
my men from intoxicating themselves. I now determined to 
try the spirit, as the poor fellows must keep up their animal 
vigor in order to perform their duty : so I detailed a trusty 
hand to mix toddies, and gave each man a drink every two 
hours. 

This diet — phlogistic, I suppose, it must be termed — ap- 
peared to afford nourishment to the menj and indeed they 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 15 

soon looked eagerly for grog-time. We speared a dolphin on 
the fifth day, which afforded us all a hearty meal ; our satis- 
faction heing increased by the unexpected discovery of a cask 
of water. 

The sailors by unanimous consent served it out to the 
slaves, retaining none for themselves ; toddies, they said, being 
quite sufficient for them. The fifth day passed uneventfully, 
and the sixth brought no promise of a breeze : we found, too, 
that the vessel had drifted nearer the land ; and with a glass 
I could see the cocoa-palm trees, and the surf breaking on the 
beach. 

About two in the afternoon, while taking a nap on deck, I 
was aroused by a tumult in the hold ; and, running forward, 
found that the bulk-head between the men and women had 
been broken down. Some of the slaves had slipped their irons ; 
and all were mixed up in dire confusion, yelling, screaming, 
and fighting like demons. They had conspired to break down 
the bulk-head ; and, having got access to the rum, had just 
commenced an orgy, which transformed them into incarnate 
fiends. 

We hastily recovered possession of the steerage and cabin, 
and removed the rum to the deck ; sent a strong guard below 
with cutlasses and pistols, which soon restored order ; and, 
having separated the sexes again, replaced the bulk-head. 

The fight had lasted about half an hour, and several slaves 
had been killed, whose bodies were brought on deck, and 
launched overboard. We then drenched all the blacks with 
bucketfuls of salt water, which seemed to assuage theiv thirst 
in some degree. On the seventh day the sun rose clear and 
calm as usual, but in half an hour retired into a dense cloud ; 
and then I knew that our deliverance was at hand. So it 
proved, for a fine land-breeze sprang up, succeeded by a glorious 
sea-breeze ; and we sailed up to our anchorage in fine style. 
On landing, I proceeded to the residence of the consul, who 
took charge of the schooner and her lading. 



16 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

Although our troubles were over, those of the blacks were 
not ; for said a Portuguese trader to me, " What for you 
Yankees take so much trouble about these niggers ? They 
no better off than they were before. Suppose they no go to 
the West Indies to work, then they get eaten up here in Afri- 
ca ; " meaning that all the efforts of our philanthropic gov- 
ernment do not alleviate the condition of the native African. 
While on the coast, I had occasion to see that these efforts are 
generally made in the wrong direction ; and all of them avail 
nothing toward preventing evil. In my opinion, extensive 
colonization is the only practical mode of benefiting "be- 
nighted Africa." 

At last we hove to off Cape Mesurado for the last time before 
leaving the coast. I went on shore to make arrangements for 
the homeward voyage ; but was not destined to escape entirely 
from this accursed place, as we were swamped on the bar in 
returning to the ship in a large heavily-laden cutter. 

There were twenty persons in the cutter altogether; and, 
finding myself in the water in a heavy surf, my first impulse 
was to seize an oar which floated near me. My situation was 
still full of peril ; for all around I could see the dorsal fins of 
huge sharks, always cruising in these localities, gliding omi- 
nously through the water, and often quite close to me : but I 
struck out boldly, and made all the noise I could without 
exhausting myself, until boats from the landing-place at 
Monrovia came to our assistance. Our danger seemed an age 
in duration ; but, in fact, we had been only three-quarters of 
an hour in the water. Only fourteen persons, including my- 
self, were saved from drowning and the sharks. 



III. 



IN 1832, having passed my examination for lieutenant, I 
sailed in the frigate " Constitution " for France ; whence we 
brought home Mr. Livingston, our minister to the court of 
Louis Philippe, who had successfully negotiated a treaty with 
the French Government, allowing our spoliation claims under 
the Berlin and Milan decrees. We went to sea again immedi- 
ately, hound for the Mediterranean, where our vessel was to he 
the flag-ship of Com. Elliott. 

I served for several years on this station in different ships, 
and, during the time, visited almost every port in that classic 
sea, besides making a trip to the Baltic. I always look 
back to this period of my life with pleasure ; for I had many 
fine opportunities of seeing places and persons of historic 
interest. I will endeavor briefly to describe an episode which 
came within my experience during this part of my naval life. 

One fine evening, in the short summer season which succeeds 
the rigorous winter of the Baltic Sea, our ship entered the 
harbor of Cronstadt, anchoring in that part of it allotted to 
ships-of-war. The sails were furled, and every thing made 
snug, as is customary in our ships after entering a harbor, when 
a government barge was reported approaching the ship. Soon 
it came alongside, and a Eussian officer mounted to the deck. 
Ostensibly his visit was one of courtesy ; and, in the usual 
manner, he tendered the facilities of the port and dockyard to 
our commander. 

2* 17 



18 KEEL AND SADDLE, 

While tlie officer was engaged in tlie cabin, several of the 
boat's crew ascended to tlie deck, and among tbem the cox- 
swain, a tall man in the dark green uniform of that humble 
office, and bearing no other insignia of rank than the silver 
chevrons of a petty officer. This person walked round the 
ship, descending to the main deck, where he minutely inspected 
the battery and other warlike appurtenances. He evidently 
wished to remain unobserved ; but his imposing stature and 
noble air did not fail to command attention. 

Our old North-Sea pilot at last observed this incognito 
seamauj and reported to the officer of the deck that a person- 
age of the highest rank in Russia was on board ; and the cap- 
tain was immediately apprised of his presence and station. 
Our commanding officer at once comprehended and respected 
the wishes of the unknown, but directed such preparations to 
be made quietly as are customary when a personage of his 
condition is received. 

In due time the Russian officer came on the quarter-deck : 
his boat was manned at his request ; and, the tall stranger hav- 
ing taken his place at the helm, the boat shoved off from the 
ship. 

As soon as this was done, the shrill call and hoarse summons 
of the boatswain was heard : a few active topmen sprang aloft, 
the life-lines were rove and the yards manned, and the 
thunder of our thirty-twos burst forth in an imperial salute, 
the Russian standard at the main. All the ships-of-war 
around us, aroused by the report, instantly began their prepa- 
rations ; and, before the reverberations of our guns had ceased, 
their yards were manned, and their cannon and those of the 
castle prolonged the deafening acclaim. The barge lay for a 
few moments abreast of our ship. The tall coxswain rose from 
his seat at the tiller, and gracefully lifted his cap in acknowl- 
edgment. He was Nicolas, Czar of all the Russias. 

The czar treated our captain and all the officers with distin- 



KEEL AND SADDLE, 19 

guished hospitality during our stay ; and for a fortnight we had 
our jGlII of visits to St. Petersburg and its vicinity, with balls, 
parties, dinners, 2Lnd fetes of all kinds, intermingled with the 
opera and reviews, and concluding with a reception at the 
Palace of Zarsko Zelo. After the lapse of so many years, I 
still remember the Emperor Nicolas as the handsomest man 
I ever saw in any country, and the most perfect embodiment 
of the regal power and dignity that the imagination can pic- 
ture. Hamlet describes his appearance exactly. In his impe- 
rial palace he acted his part with courteous dignity, and moved 
through those courtly halls with the lofty bearing of a king 
and the quiet ease of a well-bred gentleman. Like Saul, he 
was greater than other men, and at a ball could be seen tow- 
ering over the throng a full head and shoulders above men of 
even lofty stature. At the review he was "locked up in 
steel," wearing the uniform of the cuirassiers of the guard; and, 
mounted upon a powerful black charger, he rode, as heroic a 
figure as was ever imagined by Homer. The imperial family 
were also remarkable for their personal beauty, inheriting it 
from both parents ; for the empress was a most lovely and 
amiable person : and this distinction still clings to the house 
of E,omanoff. 

" There is a black sheep in every flock ; " and this one was 
not exempt from the application of the proverb. Constantine, 
the son of Paul, the brother of the czar, was in appearance, as 
in other things, an unmistakable Calmuck. The grand duke, 
however, entertained us most hospitably at his magnificent 
chateau near St. Petersburg. At this interview a Polish offi- 
cer speaking French and English acted as interpreter ; for, 
unlike most Eussians of station and education, Constantine 
spoke nothing but his own language. This officer seemed 
high in the esteem and confidence of the grand duke ; but 
what was our astonishment, and the indignation of our com- 
mander, when, after we had got well out of the Baltic, we saw 



20 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

this audacious Pole appear in the midst of our crew as if 
dropped from the sky ! The poor man, in the disguise of a 
seaman, had heen secreted in the depths of the cable tier, and 
nourished there by some of his countrymen, musicians and 
marines, in pure commiseration, ever since we left Cronstadt. 

It was at first decided to return, and deliver up this fugi- 
tive, as the spiriting-away of a subject of the emperor might 
have led to serious diplomatic complications ; but finally we 
kept on, and the Pole remained on board. One day I called to 
this person, and asked him why he so earnestly desired to 
escape from Russia. 

"Sir," said he, "that question is easily answered in one 
word, — Siberia ! " — "But," said I, " we saw you enjoying a 
respectable military rank, and apparently possessing the confi- 
dence and esteem of the brother of the emperor, as well as an 
important post in his household ; all of which you have sud- 
denly given up, and are here as a fugitive, without money, 
friends, or any prospect for the future." 

" Ah ! " returned the Pole, " you know not Constantine or 
his tiger-like nature. With him there is no such sentiment 
as friendship, especially towards one of my race and nation. 
His crimes against my unhappy country call loudly for retri- 
bution from Heaven, as you must have heard : and, although I 
never experienced aught but kindness and favors from him, 
I felt that any moment, and for the most trifling cause, I might 
feel the heavy weight of his displeasure; while the consequences 
would be to me, as to others I have known, of the most terri- 
ble character. It is not my unfortunate countrymen alone 
who tremble at the name of Siberia : the Russians themselves 
of every class never hear the word spoken without a thrill of 
anxiety, and a glance about them to make sure that they are 
still in their own homes." 



IV. 



" QJIBEEIA," continued tlie Pole, "comprises all that vast 
lO and desolate tract of country that stretches from those 
northern shores of the Polar Sea, lined with eternal glaciers, 
beneath which dive rivers as large as the Volga, to the illimi- 
table steppes which terminate in the rugged range of the Altai. 
On the east it is bounded by Behring's Straits ; and, towards 
Europe, by the nearly impenetrable forests of the Ural, guard- 
ed by the fierce Bashkirs and Calmucks. Its soil consists of 
gravelly plains, interspersed with marshes, from whose sparse 
mosses and lichens the few reindeer draw their scanty subsist- 
ence. 

" In the southern parts of this dreary tract may be seen at 
long intervals the wretched ' yourts ' of the miserable inhabit- 
ants and the rude huts of the poor exiles, who labor hard to 
raise a few vegetables to keep them from starving during the 
long winters. From the first of August to April the nights 
are twenty-two hours long, and the temperature twenty degrees 
below zero. For the succeeding four months the sun never 
sets : it is necessary that his rays should be incessantly poured 
upon the indurated soil in order to ripen its scanty produc- 
tions. 

"Into this dreadful gulf the Russian Government throws 
pele-mele with the infected masses of their own criminals the 
best blood of Poland. The chains leave St. Petersburg and 
Moscow daily, regardless of the severity of the weather. Men 

21 



22 ^KEEL AND SADDLE, 

and women alike are hurried along by their savage Cossack 
guards to the inhuman solitude they are destined to people, 
and, if necessary, urged on with the stick and the knout. 
Once daily, and on Sundays and feast-days, there is a halt 
at wretched sheds provided for the purpose, twenty-five versts 
(fifteen miles) distant from each other. 

" In these they are huddled together, without even straw to 
sleep upon : and, should these shelters be occupied by the sol- 
diers of the czar, the chain sleeps beneath the canopy of 
heaven ; for they cannot be expected to share the quarters of 
the defenders of holy Eussia. Their rations are just enough 
to keep them from starvation ; consisting daily of a handful of 
buck- wheat flour and oats, a few vegetables, and a loaf of sticky 
black rye-bread, powdered with salt, cooked by the exiles 
themselves. If they dare to complain of insufficient fare, they 
are treated to a hors d^ceuvre of seasoned ash or oak, admin- 
istered on their backs and shoulders. The commander of the 
escort is the sole judge of the quality and quantity of the 
victuals issued to the chain. If it pleases him to economize 
them, selling the portion saved, for his own profi^t, or if half 
the chain die on the road from hunger, it is nobody's business 
to examine into the cause of the mortality. The dead are 
silent ; and the living take care to forget the circumstance in 
Kussia, where an imprudent word may be fatal. 

" The journey from St. Petersburg to Tobolsk is about 
twenty- two hundred miles ; and is accomplished by the chain 
in four and a half months, at the rate of about sixteen miles 
daily. 

" So long a march is not executed without accidents and 
sickness: so there are hospitals, so called, on the route. They 
are mere open barns, built of logs, infested by the filthiest 
vermin, presided over by a person called ' doctor,^ wh6 is either 
an empiric or a barber, at a salary of twenty roubles (twelve 
dollars) per annum. When a patient dies, his body is envel- 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 23 

oped in a coarse winding-sheet, or laid naked in a rude pine- 
coffin, which is drawn over the snow to a place where the bodies 
of men and beasts are together interred : a shallow grave is 
dug in the hardened soil ; or, if the soil be frozen too hard, the 
corpse is left there in the snow to await a thaw. There is no 
religious ceremony ; for what need of prayers has an exile ? 
He was banished for offending the czar ; and therefore, by the 
Greek Church, is held to be in a state of mortal sin, of which 
he can be purged only in hell. If the deceased be a Pole, he 
is perhaps thrust through a hole in the ice of the neighboring 
river. The Russians reserve all their hatred, fury, and caprice 
to vent upon the ' Polak.' 

" Their sovereign loves not Poland ; the Pole exasperates 
the czar : so let us torture and even kill him, should he fall 
into our hands ; and these ferocious savages act accordingly. 

"During the long march of a hundred and fifty days, it 
sometimes happens that some of the boldest escape, often car- 
rjnng with them the arms of a soldier of the escort. Flight is 
not difficult : but it is not easy to get out of the country, or to 
subsist in the trackless forest; and, if any succeed in doing so, 
it is only to fall into the hands of the Prussian gens d ^ amies, 
who instantly return the unhappy fugitive to their Pussian 
allies. If recaptured by the latter, the exile has his flesh cut 
into ribbons by the sharp, angular lash of the terrible knout. 
Should he survive the fearful punishment, his heel is pierced, 
and an iron ring inserted between the bone and the Achilles 
tendon. He is then sent to end his days in a mine, and to 
ponder there over the paternal justice of his monarch and fa- 
thei^;^ But the runaway exile usually sells his life dearly, know- 
ing the priae that will be exacted for it. 

" To recount all the horrors of this fearful transit would be 
to disgust you with your species ; and I shall not further weary 
you with the loathsome details. 

" Should any one, actuated by a sentiment of generous pity, 



24 KEEL AND SADDLE, 

denounce all these atrocities to the emperor, he himself would 
be denounced, and his ruin effected, for conspiring against the 
state, the czar, and religion. He would immediately be 
knouted, to give him a lesson of prudence, silence, and discre- 
tion. The czar is not ignorant of the facts : but in Russia 
one may see every thing, hear every thing, yet beware of ex- 
pressing a single sentiment of surprise or pity ; for it is the 
crime of lese-majeste. 

" Upon their arrival at Tobolsk, the Pole and those destined 
for the mines are immediately sent to their place of exile, in 
order to get them at once as far as possible from the frontier. 
The rest — the bandits, assassins, poisoners, and other felons — 
are set free, with leave for a fortnight to rest from the fatigue 
of the journey : after which they receive a route-ticket, and a 
leathern purse containing about eighty cents in copper coin ; 
and are obliged to go to their destination without any further 
directions, and to find the master to whom they are allotted. 

" But the mines, — those deep and darksome gulfs in which 
men are forever plunged, never again to behold the light of 
day, and doomed to spend their lives in digging coal, — who 
shall tell of the anguish, the misery, of these abominable sepul- 
chres, in which the unfortunates, consigned to a living death, 
toil continually, until completely worn out, their joints para- 
lyzed, and their members rendered powerless by neuralgia ? 

'^ Those who are allotted to service are placed with some 
colonial master who exercises a profession or business, or culti- 
vates the soil. He may be a humane person : if so, so much 
the better ; for the unfortunate may expect a sort of relative 
happiness. Should he be a cruel one, however, so much the 
worse for the poor soul ; for all hell's torments heaped upon a 
single head would not be the measure of the sufferings and 
anguish which he must endure. The government does not 
occupy itself with such details, nor does it protect its subjects 
from cruelty. 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 25 

" True, there are plenty of ' ukases ; ' but, thougli emanat- 
ing from the brain of the czar, they are never executed, seldom 
even read. If the exile be a Pole or a Georgian, and conse- 
quently a Catholic, he is trebly unfortunate ; for he has a halter 
permanently around his neck. The master is bound to pro- 
vide food, lodging, and clothing for his servant, and to deposit 
with the golowa the sum of sixty cents monthly, which repre- 
sents his pay ; certainly not much. For the time of his ap- 
prenticeship of hard servitude, he must give up the most 
modest, the most inoffensive enjoyments, — even tobacco, 
unless it is bestowed upon him in charity. Charity indeed ! 
that is a coin uncurrent in Russia. By a strange contradiction, 
the government, which treats the human race worse than the 
brute creation, and to which the life of a man is worth no more 
than that of a crow, exerts every effort to people this vast soli- 
tude, called Siberia. It tolerates neither celibacy nor widow- 
hood, permitting the departed of neither sex to live isolated. 
* It is not good for man to live alone,' says Holy Writ. ' Man 
must work, and people the earth,' adds the czar. Upon Siberian 
soil the exile dons a new skin : he loses his name, and is re- 
baptized; he is a new being, and is expected to found a new 
family. To that which may be left behind him he is dead 
and buried. Should he have property, it is taken by the 
State, to spare his heirs the trouble of a division ; or, if his 
parents have any, his portion is seized by the same paternal 
authority. E-econcile these monstrosities if you can. 

" But one saving grace remains : which is, that, in case his 
wife and children solicit the favor of sharing his banishment, 
they are permitted to do so on condition of submitting to the 
penal regulations which govern the Siberian population ; of 
which I will spare you the recital, for fear of their giving you 
a nightmare. 

"To proceed. The condemned person works for three years, 
and at the end of that time enters into possession of about 



26 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

twenty-five dollars of your money, with which he huys a cow 
and a few articles of prime necessity, clears a few acres of 
land allotted to him, builds a log-hut, and becomes, in his turn, 
a master colonist. 

" As to the manner in which the women convicts are treated, 
I shrink from the task of describing it, and beg to leave it to 
your imagination. Suffice it to say, they are compelled to 
submit to the same rules with regard to marriage that are 
imposed on men ; and these enforced unions are made with 
scarcely more respect than is usually paid to the coupling of 
animals. 

" As elsewhere in Kussia, the government endeavors to real- 
ize with sanguinary fury the fundamental maxim of the first 
Nicolas, — 'Political unity by means of religious unity.' 
There is need for no other belief than that foul and ignoble 
orthodoxy on which is pinned the faith of the Eussian clergy : 
so the Pole is urged to become a convert to the Greek religion. 
Should he refuse, all hell's torments are discharged upon his 
devoted head ; and when, breathless and lost, the unfortunate 
succumbs under the superhuman griefs and pains of the knout, 
the stick, and the whip, his executioners cry to him, ' Embrace 
the religion of our father the czar, and all thy punishment 
shall cease ! ' Should the poor creature assent, he is instantly 
immersed in the next brook or pool ; and, lo ! a convert to the 
Greek Church. 

" If I ever dared to allude to all the ingeniously fiendish 
tortures inflicted upon my countrymen during my forced resi- 
dence in Russia, I was met with the remark, ^ They complain 
not of their fate, but pass, without much regret, from their 
easy but harassed condition in their native country to this life 
of labor, fatigue, and servitude, which may not be so painful 
as you imagine.' All Russians have the strange and servile 
habit of praising all the acts of their autocrat ; which indicates 
an utter absence of moral sense, and an impenetrable thickness 



KEEL AND SADDLE,, 27 

of skin to whicli that of a rhinoceros is but the thinnest paper. 
Every other consideration must be ignored when it is a ques- . 
tion of the worship of the great national fetish. 

" And now," said the Pole, " that I have given you but a 
partial account of the dreadful fate which constantly menaced 
me in Eussia, can you wonder I should wish to escape from a 
country in which such crimes can be committed with impunity, 
and from a doom which has been meted out to so many of my 
countrymen ? No ! I know you do not ; although your own 
free and enlightened nation has always had a sort of sympathy 
with E-ussia, the ground for which is, I shrewdly believe, that 
you expect to divide the world between you by and by. While 
you are subduing a mighty continent by the enterprise and 
energy of your people, Eussia is imitating your example in 
Europe and Asia; and, by means diametrically opposite, silently 
accomplishing a similar purpose. 

" Truly the ways of the Almighty are inscrutable, and we, 
his creatures, but the passive, involuntary means of their 
fulfilment." 



V. 



GEEGOEY XVI. was pontiff at tlie period of my first 
visit to Eome, during the Mediterranean cruise I have 
referred to ; and, of the famous personages then residing in the 
Eternal City, the one I most desired to see was the mother of 
the modern Csesar, Napoleon I. Madame Mere, or Madame 
Letitia, as she was usually called, being requested to grant an 
interview to a small party of American officers, of which I was 
one, graciously assented, and fixed a day for the reception at 
the palace she occupied. 

Eepairing thither at the hour appointed, after a short 
detention in a spacious ante-chamber we were ushered into 
one of those lofty saloons common to Italian palaces, hand- 
somely, not gorgeously furnished, and opening by spacious 
windows into a beautiful garden. There, with her back 
towards the subdued light from the windows, we saw an 
elderly lady reclining on a sofa in a graceful attitude 
of repose. She was attended by three ladies, who all re- 
mained standing during our visit. In the recess of one of 
the windows, on a tall pedestal of antique marble, stood a mag- 
nificent bust of the emperor ; while upon the walls of the 
saloon, in elegant frames, were hung the portraits of her chil- 
dren, all of whom had been kings and queens, — of royal 
rank, though not of royal lineage. Madame Letitia received 
us with perfect courtesy, without rising from her reclining 
position J motioning us gracefully to seats with a polite gesture 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 29 

of a hand and arm still of noble contour and dazzling white- 
ness. It was easy to see where the emperor got his small 
white hands, of which he was so vain, as we are told ; while 
the classic regularity of his well-known features was clearly 
traceable in the lineaments of the lady before us. Her head 
was covered with a cap of lace ; and her somewhat haughty 
but expressive face, beaming with intelligence, was framed in 
clustering curls a I ^antique. Her eyes were brilliant, large, 
and piercing (I think they could hardly have been more so 
in her youth) ; and the lines of her mouth and chin gave an 
expression of firmness, courage, and determination to a fine 
physiognomy perfectly in character with the historical ante- 
cedents and attributes of Letitia Ramolini. Of the rest of her 
dress we saw but little, her bust being covered by a lace hand- 
kerchief crossed over the bosom, and her dark silk robe par- 
tially concealed by a superb cashmere shawl thrown over the 
lower part of her person. She opened the conversation by 
making some complimentary remark about our country ; asking 
after her son Joseph, who resided then at Bordentown, N.J. ; 
and seemed pleased at receiving news of him from one of our 
party, who had seen him not long before. She asked this 
of&cer whether the "king" (le roi d^ Espagne) still resembled 
the portrait in her possession, which was a very fine one ; and 
upon our asking permission to examine the bust of the em- 
peror, the greatest of her sons, told us that it was considered a 
fine work of art, it being, indeed, from the chisel of Canova ; 
adding, I fancied with a little sigh of melancholy, " II resemble 
beaucoup a I'empereur." After some further commonplaces, 
she signified in the most delicate and dignified manner, more 
by looks than by words, addressed to the ladies of our party, 
referring to her rather weak state of health, that the interview 
should terminate j and, having made our obeisance, we left 
her. 

I may be excused for making an exception to my general 

3* 



30 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

rule of silence with reference to the marvel of antiquity and 
art in Eome in the case of the Coliseum, of which every 
writer is expected to say something. 

E-ome having become mistress of the then known world, and 
having imposed her yoke on every foreign nation, rendering 
all tributary to her, erected this vast edifice, capable of seating 
a hundred thousand persons, as the principal place of amuse- 
ment of her citizens. The Romans had ceased to labor for 
their subsistence: they inhabited a city built entirely of 
marble, through which they idly sauntered, bent on pleasure, 
or the enjoyment of the baths they had constructed with such 
luxurious taste and lavish expense. Their chief excitement 
was found in the bloody scenes of the arena ; and their passion 
for this could be gratified only by the wholesale slaughter of 
the brute creation and the murder of the human species. The 
terrible appetite grew by what it fed on, until tamer diversions 
seemed insipid; and its indulgence produced those storied 
monsters of antiquity who disgraced humanity. It was in the 
decadence of the empire that this great amphitheatre arose, 
and soon found imitations in every province. 

Christianity came in to divert it from its original use ; and 
we have still before us, as a lesson, the mighty ruins, which 
seem destined to endure to the end of time. 

While reflecting after this fashion in the great amphitheatre, 
I turned to our first lieutenant, and asked him for his views on 
the Coliseum. 

The worthy officer, who was entirely devoted to his profes- 
sion, — a martinet on the subject of clean decks, combings, lad- 
ders, brass railhigs, and belaying-pins, — replied curtly to my 
inquiry, waking up from his revery, " Well, I was just think- 
ing what a fine lot of ^ holy-stones and bibles ' I could get out 
here, if I could only transport them aboard the ship." 

A strange event happened during this cruise, while we lay 
at Messina. 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 31 

An Englisli toiiristj in search of the picturesque, was taken 
prisoner by the brigands of the Abruzzi in Calabria. The 
British consul at E-eggio, having entered into communication 
with the chief of the robbers, — it would have been useless to 
ask help from the Neapolitan Government, — inquired what 
sum was required for his ransom. Ten thousand ducats, was 
the answer. The consul, who had come in person under a 
safeguard from the brigand chief to the conference, could not 
help an exclamation of surprise at the enormity of the de- 
mand. He abruptly broke oif the negotiation, and sent to 
Malta for a ship of war to intimidate the brigands. In a 
short time his Majesty's ship " Barham," of sixty guns, arrived 
at E-eggio ; and at last the troops of King Ferdinand took the 
field against the robbers. 

The brigand chief was equal to the emergency. He disap- 
peared from the neighborhood with his prize, taking refuge in 
the inaccessible defiles of the mountains. The hostile demon- 
strations of the consul having failed, he again sought an 
interview with the chief, and re-opened his negotiations. 
'•Now, amico mio^^ said the consul, 'Hell me what ransom 
you really mean to take for your prisoner ? " — " Twenty thou- 
sand ducats," replied the chief; " and it is my last word. Let 
me have my answer soon ; for provisions are scarce with us, 
and it costs something to keep an Englishman. Above all, 
take care to make no more hostile attempts against us ; for, in 
that case, the ransom will be trebled." 

The consul saw the point ; and after some time it was agreed 
that the Neapolitan Government should pay one half the 
amount, the British Government paying the other. Word 
was sent to the chief that his proposition was acceded to, and 
a time and place agreed upon for the redemption of the cap- 
tive and the payment of the ransom. The high contracting 
parties met at the rendezvous, the consul, as before, accom- 
panied by a strong guard j but the robber chief came alone. 



32 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

The prisoner was delivered up, and the money counted out 
to the brigand ; but the consul could not help remarking, in 
some excitement, upon the magnitude of the amount of the 
sum demanded. " Abbiate pacienza, Signer Consule " ("Be 
calm, sir "), said the brigand : " it is yourself that fixed the 
sum." — " How I ? " — " Certainly, sir. You remember, last 
year, a ship came to Naples from England, with foreigners on 
board, intending to revolutionize our country and upset the 
government of our good king." (The brigands pretended to 
be desperately loyal to King Bomba.) " The ship was seized, 
a:l judged a lawful prize, and condemned as such. The crew, 
including one Englishman, were cast into prison. England 
was indignant at the outrage upon one of her subjects, 
threatened the king's government, and, abusing her superior 
strength, compelled Ferdinand to restore the ship, and to 
liberate the Englishman, and, in addition, to pay him the 
sum of ten thousand ducats. The tariff for a rogue being 
thus fixed by yourselves, we could not think of asking less for 
the ransom of an honest man. As to the other ten thousand 
ducats, that is the price you must pay for the presence of 
your ship-of-war at Eeggio, and the attempt to coerce us by 
employing soldiers to hunt us down ; for know, Signer Con- 
sule," added the brigand with a haughty gesture, " we are not 
children, who can be frightened into compliance with your 
wishes." 

" The Barb am " came over to Messina afterwards, and we 
met her officers frequently amid the festivities of that gay 
city. We heard that the fair Sicilians frequently asked their 
guests how they liked cruising after brigands in the moun- 
tains of Calabria. 

From the Adriatic we visited the Ionian Islands, the west 
coast of Greece, and the Morea, touching at Napoli di Eomania 
and Hydra ; and off Cape Colonna we met the British frigate 
"Portland" bearing away from the classic land old King 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 33 

Louis of Bavaria, who had been on a visit to his son, King 
Otho of Greece. Then, sailing up the Gulf of Salamis, we 
entered the harbor of the Piraeus, and anchored in view of 
Athens, with Mount Hymettus towering above the city. 

The young king had just ascended the throne, and offered 
us every facility for visiting the objects of interest in his 
kingdom : for which, I fear, we made but a poor return ; for 
his visit to ^' The Constitution " at Piraeus nearly cost him his 
life. It happened in this wise : — 

On a lovely morning His Majesty came on board, accom- 
panied by a numerous suite of ladies and gentlemen of the 
court, and civil and military of&cers, whom we received with 
all the honors. The ship was in her best trim ; and, at the 
close of the reception-ceremonies, the drum beat to quarters, 
and the crew were exercised at the great guns and in all the 
details of a naval engagement, at the king's request. Now, 
we had on board certain repeating rifles, invented by some 
cute Yankee, intended to clear an euemy's deck at close 
quarters, and, generally, to "beat all creation." This arm, 
formidable alike to enemies and friends, consisted of seven 
rifled gun-barrels welded together en faisceau, the repeating 
principle lying in the peculiar form of the bullets, which were 
cylindrical, with a hole for a fuse through their axes ; thus 
communicating with a charge of powder between each pair 
of bullets, and, seriatim, from that nearest the muzzle to the 
breech. The lock was near the muzzle of the arm, and each 
barrel contained twenty-five charges. A shower of leaden 
hail could thus be thrown, which was to continue until all the 
hundred and seventy-five projectiles were discharged ; for, 
the piece once fired, its contents must all be thrown out 
before the volley could be stopped. It was poised up on a 
swivel, intended to be inserted in a top rim or ship's rail, and 
directed by a long handle called a " monkey-tail." 

At the close of the exercises, the king and the rest of our 



84 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

guests, witli the officers of the ship and those of a French 
frigate in the harbor, assembled on the quarter-deck to 
witness the performances of this wonderful engine, which was 
swivelled upon the taffrail. Our old gunner seized the 
monkey-tail to control the .fire, pointed his piece at the 
target, — which consisted of some barrels lashed together and 
dropped astern of the ship, and pulled the lockstring. 

The " infernal machine '' began its work in an exemplary 
manner, with the rolling fire of an infantry platoon, and 
smashed the target at once. One, two, three barrels were 
emptied; but the piece then became hot, and gave evidence of 
a strong desire to emancipate itself from control, and to 
wheel upon its pivot, and turn its muzzle inboard. The 
gunner held on manfully to the monkey-tail until all but the 
last two barrels were discharged ; when the piece became com- 
pletely unmanageable, and suddenly bore upon the deck, dis- 
tributing its leaden sugar-plums indiscriminatelj'- in every 
direction. 

Sauve qui peut was the word; and the spar-deck was 
quickly cleared. Our commodore, with great presence of 
mind, seized the king in his arms, and made a plunge down 
the after-hatchway leading to the main-deck ; and all the 
company dived below through other hatchways, the ship- 
officers gallantly following the example of the commodore 
with the ladies of the court. The king was dressed in a 
splendid Albanian costume ; and the ample white kilt spread 
out like a fan while His Majesty made frantic efforts to escape 
from the parental embrace of the old commodore in what he 
considered a most undignified retreat from danger. The 
ladies took it more quietly ; but the exodus was general as well 
as speedy, and the quarter-deck was left to the undisputed 
possession of Brother Jonathan's patent exterminator, which 
continued to rake the spar-deck fore and aft until the bullets 
were all expended. 



VI. 

FBOM Greece and tlie island ports of tlie ^gean Sea our 
summer cruise was continued to Smyrna, wliicb. we found 
the most agreeable and hospitable of all the Levantine ports. 
The society was of a nature which is always the most enter- 
taining, and was composed of refined and highly educated 
people, — Americans, English, Italians, Spaniards, ^French, 
Greeks, and Armenians. 

Of the native Turks I cannot speak, as unbelievers are not 
admitted to the privacy of their dwellings, with the rare ex- 
ception of a few official persons ; judging from whose reports, 
we had no desire to know more of the Osmanli. 

The Christian element, of which I have spoken, is most 
harmoniously fused in an institution, common to the cities of 
the Levant and Sicily, known as the casino. This is what 
we should term a club : but, social enjoyment being its object, 
its privileges are shared by both sexes ; which community gives 
the institution a more civilized and refining character. The 
casino is established and maintained by subscription ; all 
the members being on terms of perfect equality, and retain- 
ing there the same independence they enjoy in their own 
homes. The casino at Smyrna was, and probably still remains, 
a model of its kind. The house was large . and spacious, its 
saloons magnificent, with suites of elegant apartments for cards, 
billiards, conversation, and music, including a fine ball-room ; 
all handsomely furnished. A restaurant and buffet was at- 

§5 



36 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

tached to tlie establislinieiit, which had a large staff of attend- 
ants under the superintendence of a major-domo, who per- 
formed his multifarious duties subject to the direction of a 
committee of members of the casino. The subscribers main- 
taining this splendid institution were all merchants, either of 
Smyrna or the neighborhood, including all the foreign consuls, 
who, in the East, enjoy a quasi diplomatic character. There 
was a weekly ball, except in the season of villegiatura ; and the 
rooms could be used by the members for private re-unions if 
they pleased. This last advantage of membership I should 
think worthy of imitation elsewhere, as it precludes the neces- 
sity of turning one's own domicile upside-down for a single 
evening, to say nothing of the saving of expense. All stran- 
gers were introduced by a member ; after which they enjoyed 
all the advantages of the casino. 

At these casino balls, I have heard the officers of all nations 
agree, were to be seen the most attractive and beautiful women 
of every clime, bewildering in variety of charms, bewitching 
in character, and all in toilets more or less splendid and fanciful. 
In fact, nothing was wanted to complete the accessories of ele- 
vated and refining social enjoyment. 

Having received our firman from the Sublime Porte, after 
considerable diplomatic negotiation and delay, we left Smyrna 
and its fair women, its gay balls and parties at the casino, its 
delicious fruits, its pleasant hunting-parties in the woods of 
the neighborhood, where wild boar and venison were abundant, 
and sailed for the Dardanelles, touching at the plains of Troy, 
and anchored in due time off Seraglio Point, at Constanti- 
nople. 

Although desirous of seeing this far-famed city, we did not 
find the change agreeable in many respects. 

I never could feel any admiration for the Easterns, especially 
the Turks, who, after all, are but a strange, nomadic, and 
still barbarous people, albeit prominent in European politics, 



KEEL AND SADDLE, 37 

and who may be said, at the present day, to be merely en- 
camped in Europe. Hardly more sympathy can be felt for 
them by the people of Western Europe than is felt by the 
people of the United States for the Mormons or the abo- 
rigines. 

As to the sights of Stamboul, they are chiefly natural ; 
and those esteemed very wonderful by the Turks may be 
dismissed as altogether unworthy of serious notice. The 
antiquities are few, and the museums and palaces contempti- 
ble, except those of the sultan, which have a sort of mixed 
French and barbaric splendor. The population is bigoted, in- 
tolerant, and insufferably dirty in appearance and manners; 
and altogether you cannot resist a strong desire to expel 
these Oriental humbugs to the Asian deserts from which they 
came. 

Sultan Mahmoud, the slayer of the janizaries, and one of 
the wisest monarchs who has ever held the sceptre of the 
prophet, and the first who had ventured upon the work of 
reform in the empire, was at that time at the height of his 
power. Strolling through the Almeidan one day with a few 
companions, we became aware that a distinguished party was 
entering the place. First came a squadron of cavalry, which 
occupied the different avenues leading to it ; while a smaller 
party of richly-dressed slaves following them drove away 
every one but ourselves, telling us we might remain ; and, 
forming in line, drew their sabres. They were the eunuchs 
of the imperial harem. The ancient lists having been 
cleared, a target was set up at one end of them; and we 
learned that the commander of the faithful himself was 
momentarily expected to enjoy his favorite practice of arch- 
ery, in which he excelled. To this one of the ancient cus- 
toms of the padishahs, his predecessors, he still adhered. A 
group of Turks, evidently of station and consequence, fol- 
lowed; and then, riding alone on a noble chestnut horse, 



38 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

came Mahmoud himself. He dismounted immediately, and, 
taking a bow and arrows from an attendant, placed himself at 
a stone which marked the base, and began to fire at the 
target, at about the distance, I should think, of a hundred 
yards. 

The sultan was at that time in full health and strength, 
and had a considerable share of good looks. He was of me- 
dium size, with aquiline features, piercing black eyes, and a 
full beard of the same color, which probably owed its glossy 
look to dyes and cosmetics. His dress was a blue cloth tunic, 
made like a single-breasted military frock, with embroidered 
cuffs and collar; light-blue trousers in the Frankish style; 
and a star of brilliants on the breast of his coat. On his 
head was a scarlet fez, with an aigret of brilliants in front, 
holding a straight heron's plume, the imperial ghika ; and by 
his side hung a gorgeous sabre. On dismounting, he threw 
off a capacious scarlet cloak. The commander of the faith- 
ful proved to be a skilful as well as graceful archer, striking 
the target with every arrow. After about a dozen successful 
shots, the target was removed ; and the sultan began his exer- 
cise with the bow for distance, which was marked off by 
several marble pillars. He stepped forward, and quickly 
despatched about a dozen more arrows, firing with great 
rapidity. I should think he sent his shafts at least two hun- 
dred and fifty yards. 

The sultan then became iaware that we were observing 
him, and graciously sent us the information by an officer, that 
he had, in the last trial, sent an arrow beyond any of those 
recorded by his predecessors. He then mounted his horse 
and rode off, followed by his eunuchs ; but the cavalry re- 
mained for about an hour, engaged in the national exercise of 
the jereed, which I need not describe. 

Although Mahmoud was fond of and highly skilled in the 
old warlike sports of the Mussulmans, he still took care to 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 39 

provide his army with muskets and bayonets of European 
manufacture, and clothed them in the uniform of the Frank ; 
which certainly did not improve their appearance to the eye 
accustomed to behold the models they imitated. These re- 
forms, and other departures from the time-honored customs of 
the Moslems, led to a serious revolt, which he extinguished 
with resolute vigor ; but discontent still existed, and his regu- 
lar troops were called, in derision, " tacticos." 

Leaving Constantinople, we sailed down the ^Egean, touch- 
ing at Scio and Tenedos, and sustaining a heavy gale, in 
which we narrowly escaped shipweck. The storm was heavi- 
est just before nightfall, when we were to the northward of 
Myconi, and that island was close under our lee. The sun 
went down red and angry ; and the wind, increasing with the 
darkness of night, became almost a hurricane, accompanied 
by sharp lightning and driving rain and hail. We lost sight 
of the high and rocky shores; but, at midnight, could dis- 
tinctly hear the roar of the surf as the waves broke on the 
rocks, so near to them were we. Our ship held on well, with 
the lee hammock-nettings almost in the water, as she ca- 
reened under the pressure of close-reefed topsails and whole 
courses. In an open sea she would have been hove to under 
storm-sails ; but here we were compelled to carry on, even if 
the masts went out of her. Our old Greek pilot stood be- 
tween the night-heads, accompanied by several officers ; and 
our first lieutenant — a splendid seaman and accomplished 
officer — had the deck, and stood immovable at his post, 
trumpet in hand. The ship dashed gallantly through the 
waves at a high rate of speed, but trembled like a living 
thing under the unwonted pressure of canvas. Every officer 
and seaman was at his post, and perfect silence prevailed: 
no sound was heard save the roar of the blast, and the dash- 
ing of the waves as the ship threw them from her bows. 

Just at a critical instant, when the breakers were reported 



40 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

ahead, and the command for tacking, " Eeady about ! " had 
been given through the trumpet, a heavy squall passed over 
the ship, and the cloufts broke away for a moment in the 
southern horizon, showing clearly the passage between the 
Islands of Tino and Myconi, for which our pilot had been 
anxiously looking. Instead of tacking, the ship was put be- 
fore the wind ; the mainsail hauled up. Up went the helm, 
and she flew into the passage like a bird, that, having been 
struggling against an adverse wind, suddenly abandons its 
purpose, and flies with the gale. 

The old pilot then gave his directions to the helmsman to 
"port" or "starboard" as we rushed through the narrow pas- 
sage, " conning " the ship by the luminous appearance of 
the breakers on either hand as we approached them ; and in 
half an hour we rounded to under the lee of the land, and 
were saved. Not so a Turkish line-of-battle ship, which had 
been in company with us all day. We heard afterwards 
that she went ashore upon Tino that fearful night, and was 
lost, with every one on board, — five hundred and sixty 
souls. 

A few days later, having run down the coast of Asia Minor, 
our good ship anchored in the road of Beyrout. 

Having visited the ruins of Balbec and the famed city of 
Damascus, we sailed southward close in with the land of Syria, 
and, passing Mount Carmel, anchored again at Sidon. 

From this ancient seaport I was sent by our commodore with 
a message to Lady Hester Stanhope, who had her residence 
not far off on a hill ; and arrived there just at nightfall. 

This eccentric English lady, the niece of the great Earl of 
Chatham, had led a solitary life in the East for several years, 
during which she occupied herself in travelling over the coun- 
try, in becoming acquainted with the places celebrated in 
biblical history, and acquiring the various languages and 
customs of the Oriental countries. 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 41 

Her relatives were much concerned about her eccentricities 
and voluntary exile, as she had once moved in and adorned 
the highest society, and possessed an ample fortune. Several 
reasons were assigned for her voluntary exile, the most plau- 
sible of which, probably, was that her mind was somewhat 
unsettled in consequence of the death of her affianced hus- 
band, Sir John Moore, killed at Coruiia, — the hero of the fine 
ballad, — 

" Not a drum was heard, nor a funeral note, 
As his corse to the ramparts we hurried," &c. 

Lady Hester had expended a large portion of her property 
during her sojourn in the East, roaming the wilds and deserts 
at the head of her hired soldiers, and making treaties with 
the wild Bedouin sheiks in the spirit of a Semiramis. She 
was certainly generous and fearless ; but I fancy she some- 
times owed her safety, while travelling in the desert, to the 
high respect and deference yielded by all Orientals to persons 
whom Allah has deprived of the full measure of reason. No 
doubt, also, her ladyship's hucksheesh was acceptable to these 
untutored children of Nature, who are quite as mercenary as 
other barbarians or the Thugs of civilization. 

The American consul at Sidon, our surgeon, and myself, 
arriving rather late at the rambling buildings which composed 
the residence of the English lady, found the gates shut and 
guarded by her ladyship's Albanian soldiers ; but after a 
parley, in which our ambassadorial character was reported 
to the chieftainess, they were opened to us, and we dis- 
mounted in the court-yard. We were then invited into the 
house, and provided with toilet-conveniences, and a comforta- 
ble supper, a la Turque, on temperance principles, but with 
plenty of kibobs and coifee. After this refreshment we were 
told that Lady Hester would receive us, and, following an at- 
tendant, were conducted into a large, dimly-lighted room very 

4* 



42 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

scantily furnished, with windows, high up in the walls, so that 
any view from without was impossible. At the farther end 
of this room, on a divan, sat a bundle of Turkish female habili- 
ments, which, upon a nearer approach, proved to contain a 
lady, who was smoking a long chibouk, which she scarcely 
removed from her lips to bid us welcome. 

Without rising, she removed the " yashmak " from her face, 
and gracefully motioned us to seats, her attendants bringing 
us pipes like her own ; and for some minutes we all sat silent, 
as if smoking the calumet with some Indian potentate. My 
message and invitation to the ship having been delivered and 
duly acknowledged by the lady, silence reigned again for a 
brief space, during which we had time to observe and admire 
the truly noble and expressive features of the singular woman 
before us. 

Suddenly the silence was broken by Lady Hester, who 
commenced a long tirade against the British ministry, which 
had incurred her lady's displeasure by divers acts, as we 
now learned for the first time from her own lips, but in the 
merits of which we surely could not be expected to feel the 
slightest interest. Having scolded and abused the uncon- 
scious objects of her displeasure at considerable length with 
an energy of speech not much milder than vituperation, Lady 
Hester asked for news of Ibrahim Pacha. 

When we had given the required information as to his 
Highness, who had been especially polite and hospitable to us 
at Beyrout, her ladyship proceeded, with undiminished volu- 
bility, to pour out the vials of her wrath upon the head of the 
pacha, whose crimes seemed to be rebelling against the sultan 
his master, and neglect of her ladyship's advice. She finished 
her diatribe by announcing her intention to seek out the 
pacha, and to lead him by the beard to the footstool of his 
rightful lord, the padishah, and to crush the revolt by imprison- 
ing the father of Ibrahim; Mehemet Ali, Pacha of Egypt. 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 48 

As she declared her determination, Lady Hester rose from 
her seat, dropping her chibouk, which was picked up by a 
little black girl at her feet, and stood revealed to our sight, — 
a tall, elegant figure, clad in loosely-flowing robes, and looking 
like an inspired sibyl. 

After having vented her anger as to her two pet grievances, 
she conversed very agreeably on general topics, antiquities, 
&c., for some time, during which she appeared in her real 
character, — that of a high-born English lady. The lucid 
interval was not of long duration, however ; for soon she again 
broke forth, and this time her theme was religion. 

Apart from her interesting account of places hallowed by 
the traditions of Bible story, her discourse was a rhapsody 
rather than a discussion, and altogether failed to settle the 
knotty points she so flippantly assumed to decide. Her theo- 
logy seemed to be a strange mosaic of Judaism, Christianity, 
and Islamism, ingeniously dovetailed together into a creed 
or faith, of the absolute truth of which, if unrevealed to 
others, she had convinced herself, at least, satisfactorily. She 
evidently was a firm believer in the doctrine of private judg- 
ment in faith, even to personal infallibility. 

We could easily see that her ladyship had not such good 
listeners every day ; and she availed herself to the fullest extent 
of the opportunity, continuing always the speaker, and run- 
ning from one subject to another with rapidity and ease ; and 
at last, meeting with neither denial nor criticism from us, she 
arose majestically from her divan, and bade us good-night. 
She took leave courteously, offering us her hospitality, and 
amiably saying that she had a right to feel a peculiar interest in 
our native country, holding, as she did, so near a relationship 
to Lord Chatham, our oldest friend and advocate : then, kindly 
giving us leave to see her celebrated mares on the next morn- 
ing, she retired with graceful dignity. 

We were astonished to find that the interview, which began 
about eight, p.m., had lasted until long after midnight. 



44 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

We did not again see our hostess ; but before leaving, after 
breakfast next morning, paid a visit to the famous mares. 
One of these animals had a remarkably hollow back, a sort of 
natural saddle, and was destined for the use of the E/edeemer 
of the world at his second coming ; while the other was re- 
served for Lady Hester herself, who, with her divine companion, 
was to ride triumphantly into Jerusalem. The animals were 
in fine condition, never being used ; and stared at us as if they 
marvelled greatly at our appearance. 

We had a pleasant ride back to Sidon, stopping at a Ma- 
ronite convent half way, the prior of which shrugged his 
shoulders when he heard where we had been, tapping his fore- 
head significantly : he then drew forth a bottle of excellent 
native wine for our refreshment. 

On comparing notes, we found the impression received by all 
of us was the same, — that Lady Hester was partly deranged, 
and partly a religious enthusiast ; and that Gen. Sir John 
Moore, by his glorious death on the battle-field, had escaped a 
more painful fate. 



VII. 



AEEIVINGr at St. Jean d'Acre, we found that Ibrahim 
Pacha had preceded us, and was actively engaged in re- 
pairing the defences of that celebrated place in preparation for 
the conflict between his sovereign and himself that soon after 
broke out. Ibrahim was a man of mark in the East, and used 
all his power to sustain his father, the rebellious pacha, then 
struggling to make his pachalic hereditary in his family ; and 
doubtless dreamed of independent sovereignty, which they 
would doubtless have achieved but for Russian interposition. 

I often saw him. He was of low stature, with a meagre 
face and figure ; but had a soldierly carriage, and a mien of 
authority and dignity. 

Unlike most Turks, he was of a restless and uneasy temper 
and active habits. His efforts to improve the Egyptian army 
and marine were untiring ; and he employed many foreign offi- 
cers in the work of reform. His dress was always the same, — 
that of a private soldier, — a simple white linen tunic, baggy 
trousers of the same material, with blue cloth trimmings, and 
gaiters ; his head coifed with the inevitable fez, and a plainly- 
mounted sabre at his side. Yet, simply attired though he was, 
the pacha was always the central figure of his large and bril- 
liant staff. 

Of course, all the officers had opportunity to make a pilgrim- 
age to the Holy City under the most favorable auspices, and 
protected by the authorities. I visited all the scenes of our 

45 



46 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

Lord's earthly sojournings, — his sufferings and passion, — witli 
gratitude for the precious privilege ; and treasured up memo- 
ries ever after recurred to with sincere pleasure. 

These places have been reverenced by the followers of the 
Messiah for nearly two thousand years as the actual theatre 
of those memorable events. I can have no sympathy with 
those who go to the Holy Land with determined scepticism as 
to the identification of the spot held sacred in Catholic history. 
The Catholic pilgrim certainly has the advantage of the Prot- 
estant in this respect ; for he can, reposing in the religious 
reverence in which he has been reared, ask confidently, " Is 
not this the place where the ^ mortal put on immortality ' ? 
Was it not here that the sacrifice of the Man-God was con- 
summated ? " 

Under the guidance of an intelligent Greek kavass we vis- 
ited Bethlehem, the Dead Sea, and the Eiver Jordan ; and, 
while encamped at the latter place, were visited by a party of 
Bedouin Arabs. Though they may have come with plundering 
intent, they found that nothing was to be gained by force, and 
contented themselves with begging for every thing they saw. 
With Spiridion as interpreter, I entered into conversation with 
a venerable sheik, who sat gravely before the low tent of 
striped cloth, stroking his long white beard. We spoke of the 
ruins at Balbec, Palmyra, and other localities, with all of 
which he was familiar, and of the unknown and unremembered 
people who had once possessed them. These sons of Ishmael 
are accustomed to converse in poetry ; and, at the termination 
of our discourse, the old sheik said, taking hold of his tent- 
cord, " This string of camel's hair which supports my tent is 
but a slender one ; yet it has seen the rise and fall of Babylon, 
Tyre, and Palmyra, as well as all the gorgeous remains of the 
cities we have been talking about." 

We were hospitably received at Alexandria by the pacha, 
Mehemet Ali, who then reigned as independently as any sove- 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 47 

reign monarch.. He was a fine, venerable man of about sixty, 
with a delicate, fresh-colored complexion, and a long white 
beard of silky texture. At his reception in the palace over- 
looking the harbor, he did the honors in a graceful and dignified 
manner, more like a Western European than any Turk I had 
yet seen. He wore the Nizam dress of fine brown cloth, slen- 
derly embroidered in black ; for the " tactico '' dress had not 
as yet been adopted in Egypt. Looking at his benevolent 
face, no one would imagine that he was the ruthless and de- 
termined destroyer of the Mameluke Beys, the only survivor of 
whom was pointed out to us at the reception. This was Emin 
Bey, who leaped his horse from the wall of the citadel at Cairo 
down fifty feet into the fosse, and thus escaped the massacre 
that overtook all his comrades in the court-yard. The horse 
was killed ; but a few days afterwards an old woman in rags 
presented herself at the divan of the pacha, begging for mercy 
from the truculent chief Mehemet, recognizing the " kismet,'^ 
— the doctrine of fatalism of Islam, — not only pardoned 
Emin, but afterwards took him into his confidence, — a sure 
road to wealth and honor. 

Some months after leaving the Levant I was temporarily 
detached from duty in the squadron, and ordered to report 
myself to the American minister at Madrid, as bearer of 
despatches from him to the legation in Paris ; and, in pursu- 
ance of my instructions, landed at Lisbon about the first of 
September, 1836, and proceeded with the American consul 
the next day to the village of Aldea Gallega. I supped that 
evening at the posada in company with the gypsy chief with 
whom the consul had arranged to conduct myself and servant 
safely to Badajos across the frontier. This worthy, Pedrecillo 
by name, — gypsies scorn surnames, — was a dark-skinned, 
sun-dried specimen of his race, forlorn and miserable enough 
in appearance, though possessed of the keen black eyes of the 
Gitanos, that seemed perpetually on the lookout for snares and 



48 KEEL AND SADDLE 

pitfalls, as became his vocation of contrabandista. His usual 
employment, when occupied with any business, was smuggling 
tobacco and other forbidden merchandise by the aid of his 
band, although their ostensible employment was trading horses 
and mules. 

I was assured that I could trust implicitly to the protection 
of the gypsies, and that I might feel as safe on my journey as 
if I had an escort of cavalry. Having agreed to conduct and 
protect us for a fixed compensation, Pedrecillo, I was told, 
would fulfil his engagement to the letter ; although, under 
some circumstances, he would cut our throats as readily as a 
chicken's. I had hoped to enjoy a quiet night's rest at the 
posada ; but Pedrecillo informed me at the close of our repast 
that I and my tyiozo, a boy I brought with me from Cadiz, must 
set forth at midnight, and join him at a place on the highway 
just outside the town, near which the gypsy crew were bivou- 
acked. The announcement was made after the chief had 
demolished a puchero, the greater part of a pair of fowls, and 
a pudding, washed down with a bottle and a half of Collares 
wine ; and I assented, concluding that these gentry transact 
their respectable commerce only by night, in order to escape 
the onerous taxes laid by the resguardo (custom-house). I 
yielded only to necessity ; for my guide stipulated that I was in 
all things to obey his instructions while travelling under his 
protection. I already owned a fine mule : but my first trans- 
action with Pedrecillo was a horse-trade ; and I found myself in 
possession of a good Andalusian roadster, at a price not more 
than twice his real value. My mule was transferred to my 
mozo^ who carried the provant for the journey, my valise, and 
alforjas. 

We found Pedrecillo waiting for us at the rendezvous, and 
started forward in the moonlight at a brisk canter, which soon 
brought us up to tlie gypsy troop, wliich had preceded us. 
They seemed a shabby cavalcade of men, women, and children, 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 49 

of all ages, on all sorts of mounts, from fine Cordovese horses 
to humble horicos (asses) ; and all were laden with packs com- 
posed of camp equipage and contraband luggage. At daylight 
their appearance, although picturesque, — rags are always so, 
— did not improve. I should except from this remark the 
chief, who, being now on his "native heath," dropped his 
whining tones and sneaking demeanor, and assumed a jaunty 
and swaggering air. He was mounted on a fine stallion ; and 
before him, across the saddle, was an enormous trahuco (blun- 
derbuss), capable of holding a pint of musket-balls, with a 
flaring muzzle like a bass horn. The column of vagabonds 
was marshalled like cavalry on a march, — an advance of gita- 
nos, who examined the road with searching glances ; then the 
main body, with the cuj adores (muleteers), with their pack- 
mules of contraband goods ; then the gypsy women, with their 
household goods, and bantlings strapped to their backs ; and 
lastly a rear-guard of stout fellows, who pushed every one 
ahead of them, suffering none to lag on the route. The chief, 
his wife and son, with Juanito and myself, rode at the head of 
the main body in the place of honor. 

In this manner we advanced in an easterly direction, at a 
steady trot, through a rough and uncultivated country, inter- 
spersed with dry water-courses and groves of cork-trees, until 
about eight, a.m., when we saw a large town north of us, and 
halted in an oak forest at a spring to breakfast. I desired to 
visit the town, which was Evord ; but the chief objected, as he 
did not wish it to be known that his band was in the neigh- 
borhood, for excellent reasons which I could readily appreciate. 
I therefore took a nap instead; after which we all mounted 
and rode on, and, leaving the main body at Estremoz, arrived 
by noon at a miserable village beyond that town, called Alcar- 
vizas ; thence through Elvas, from which the chief alone con- 
ducted us to Badajos, at which town we arrived late in the 

evening. 

5 



50 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

The gypsy crew had been left behind near the frontier for 
some reason which did not appear, and Pedrecillo signified to 
me that he had fulfilled his contract. I expressed my satis- 
faction at his fidelity, paid him in full, adding a handsome 
douceur^ and bade him farewell. The gypsy thanked me with 
the lofty manner of a true Spaniard, which leaves you in 
doubt as to whether you are not really the obliged party, and 
took leave, returning to his band. 

In my experience with these people, I have always found it 
best to treat them with politeness and consideration, as a matter 
of policy, if from no better motives. Offer them a cigar, call 
them caballeros, and occasionally confer upon them a grati- 
ficacioncita of a few reals : in this way you will conciliate 
them, and they will repay your condescension by ministering 
to all your little wants not formally set down in the agree- 
ment. 

Badajos is usually described as a grande place de guerre^ 
premiere classe ; but I found it only a dull frontier-town, with 
its famous fortifications decaying for want of repairs. It 
is, however, most interesting to a military man as the scene 
of the siege conducted by the Duke of Wellington, and so 
graphically described by ]S"apier in his " Peninsular War.'' It 
is situated on the Guadiana ; above which river the fortified 
heights of the strong city rise several hundred feet, with a 
bastioned front towards the land side, A strong tete de pont 
commands the bridge across the river, which is also com- 
manded by the citadel of San Cristobal, into which the indom- 
itable Philippon retired with his scanty garrison after the 
taking of the town by storm. 

I visited the famous bastions of Santa Trinidad and Santa 
Maria, where the main attack of the English failed with such 
terrible losses; and the San Vicente bastion, where Picton, 
converting a feint into a real attack, by a felicitous inspiration, 
carried the town. 



KEEL AND SADDLE, 51 

With these frowning walls and deep ditches, the flanking 
batteries which defend them, and the solid masonry of their 
construction, the strong city seems impregnable if resolutely 
defended ; and we must agree with Napier, that " no age ever 
sent forth braver troops than those who stormed and carried 
Badajos." Beside the cathedral, erected 1248, containing a 
few doubtful pictures of Morales, and which is sadly in want 
of repair, — for it is in Spain, — there are no other objects 
of interest to the passing traveller. 

Not being pressed for time, I determined to continue as I 
had begun, and perform my journey on horseback with no 
other companion than my mozoy or such chance wayfarers as I 
might meet. So I sent my impedimenta to Madrid by the 
carrier ; and towards the last of August we cantered gayly out 
of Badajos over an extensive dreary plain. If you have no 
ladies or other companions, this is always the best mode of 
travelling in countries, which, like Spain, have a sort of demi- 
civilization. Besides your horse, equipments, and a servant, 
who must always know enough of the country to act as 
guide, you must provide a pair of alforjas (saddlebags of 
woollen) for yourself, and capachos de esparto (hempen pan- 
niers) for your servant, with a leather wine-bottle and pro- 
vant, — all of which is carried by your mozo on his mule ; and 
with your arms, and a good cloak of the excellent Spanish 
cloth called pano pardo, you are equipped for the road. 

You are then independent, bound to nobody, travelling at 
your own will and pleasure, can start when you please, stop 
when you please, and are not restricted to the regular high- 
way, or subjected to the dislocating jolts of the lumbering 
diligence over execrable roads, with the prospect of a runaway 
or an upset, or the probability of robbers. It is the only plan, 
even now, by which you can visit the sights best worth seeing 
in the country. The Spanish arrieros (carriers) are perfectly 
reliable, and may always be trusted. They form a class of 



52 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

themselves. Like many of their countrymen, they are vain, 
boasting, and great liars (emhusteros) ; fond of telling tremen- 
dous yarns about the country they pass through; but are 
honest and industrious. 

We had a monotonous and sultry ride across the plain I 
mentioned until a short time after high noon, when we en- 
tered the superannuated city of Merida. 



VIII. 

EVEN in Spain, where every thing speaks of the past, and 
nothing of the living present, Merida, the ancient capi- 
tal of Lusitania, retains more memorials of by-gone ages than 
any other city ; and, although very seldom visited by tourists, 
can boast of remains as interesting as those of Rome itself. 
Indeed, it might with reason be called the Spanish Rome. It 
is proudly seated upon the Guadiana, and has an imposing and 
lordly aspect. 

My first visit was to that marvellous structure, the bridge 
built by Trajan across the Guadiana, which still serves the 
citizens of the place, and which seems as durable as a work of 
Nature. It is said that the Moslems, unable to realize that it 
had been erected by man, attributed it to the djinns, or genii. 
It is built of stones of enormous size, far greater than those 
used in any modern work, whose transportation must have 
demanded immense mechanical power, and which are still per- 
fectly joined together by cohesion only. It is more than twen- 
ty-five hundred feet long, and thirty wide ; and the roadway 
rests on eighty-one arches, thirty-five feet above the river. 

Over this bridge passed the Roman legions with their ban- 
ners inscribed S. P. Q. R. ; and, after the lapse of eighteen cen- 
turies, here also have crossed the eagles of the modern Caesar. 
Both hosts must have felt their hearts swell within them at 
the matchless prospect. A dike of the same enduring mason- 
ry serves the bridge as a bulwark against inundations, and has 
6* 53 



54 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

undoubtedly saved it from being seriously damaged in past 
times. This island-buttress is now a retreat for the washer- 
women of Merida, who resort to it in crowds to ply their voca- 
tion. A mixed Koman and Moorish alcazar serves as a tete de 
pont; and, on the other side, the episcopal palace, once a Moor- 
ish castle, and afterwards occupied by the knights of St. John, 
is raised upon the Roman foundation, still distinctly visible, 
although the upper part was blown up by either Wellington or 
Marmont. 

In the town stands a magnificent triumphal arch, also built 
by Trajan, but now sadly dilapidated. Mosaic pavements, the 
remains of richly-carved Corinthian columns, and huge stone- 
blocks that seem as if quarried by the Titans, also abound in 
the city. The forum is traceable near the convent of the 
Descalzos (barefooted friars) ; and another very perfect Eoman 
bridge still spans the rivulet of Albaregas, a tributary of the 
Guadiana, which would be celebrated in any other locality. 
In this neighborhood is a splendid Eoman aqueduct, with three 
tiers of arches built partly of granite, and partly of brick. 
This was but one of the many aqueducts of Merida in its 
palmy days ; yet, ruined as it is, by its grand proportions, the 
solidity of its materials, and its unmistakable utility, it puts to 
shame all modern works of the kind. The circus maximus, or 
hippodrome, still exists, just outside the town, and might easily 
be used for equestrian performances without alteration. Its 
outer walls are of tremendous thickness, and thousands of 
spectators could be accommodated in its eight rows of seats. 
A small theatre is still occasionally used for the national game 
of bull-fighting. 

[Let me remark here, that, in writing of this tour in Spain, 
I shall speak at length only of such out-of-the-way places as 
Merida, which are seldom visited by tourists ; passing by with- 
out particular mention those which have already been gener- 
ally seen and much written about.] 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 55 

I spent a whole day in inspecting and wondering at the 
great water-reservoirs in the neighborhood, which are truly 
stupendous and unique in Europe, far surpassing even the cel- 
ebrated works of the same kind at Constantinople. At the 
Charca de la Albufera, there is an enormous wall of solid gran- 
ite, serving as a dam to what is called El lago d& Proserpina, 
— a subterranean artificial lake, so grand and marvellous in its 
construction, that the observer might be pardoned for doubt- 
ing that it could have been made by human hands. Several 
massive towers connected with this wonderful structure con- 
tain stairs still perfect, descending into the huge subterranean 
lake, which even now might be repaired and used if required 
by a numerous population. Alas ! such a probability is infi- 
nitely remote ; for the ancient Emerita, which once numbered 
her hundreds of thousands, now counts but three or four thou- 
sand poor people. 

Having replenished our provisions for the road, and ex- 
hausted the sights of Merida, we rose at daylight one morning, 
and again set forth on the king's highway, — " camino realP 
Estremadura is famed through Spain for the excellence of its 
pork, the dried sopresuda, (a sort of smoked sausage, flavored 
highly with red pepper, garlic, and anise-seed) being especially 
notable, while the hams of Montanches have a European repu- 
tation. Of these savory viands we had furnished ourselves 
with a bountiful supply, Juanito having purchased enough to 
subsist a dozen persons for a month. Continuing our route 
for about three hours, we came suddenly upon the diligence, 
which had left Merida the day before, its mules gone, and the 
passengers surrounding the vehicle with rueful visages. They 
had fallen among thieves : their luggage had been ransacked, 
and the team carried off by the robbers. The zagal and may- 
oral had left them in quest of other animals ; and the wretched 
travellers were compelled to await their return, occupying the 
interim with boisterous lamentations. A Briton, of the species 



56 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

" commercial traveller," was especially wrathful, cursing Spain, 
its roads, and particularly its government, calling down upon 
them all inverted blessings, as soon as he found out that I 
understood his language. I learned from a son of the coun- 
try, a passenger, that this part of the high-road is called el 
confesionario de San Pedro, — ominous name, on account of 
the numbers of poor travellers sent to Hades unshrived by the 
salteadores (highwaymen) who infest it. 

Having fasted since the day before, the passengers, nine in 
number, were ravenously hungry, and made a fierce onslaught 
upon our stock of provisions, while Juanito gallantly engaged 
in preparing chocolate for the three ladies of the party. Trav- 
elling by diligence in Spain is simply odious. The cumbrous 
vehicle is invariably behind time ; the stoppages, relays, and 
delays innumerable; and the ventas (wayside inns) have 
wretched accommodations, and are overrun with vermin. 

The conductors having arrived, Juanito and myself cantered 
gayly off, and escorted the diligence as far as Medellin. This 
small place is noted as the birthplace of Herman Cortes ; but 
I could find in it nothing to commemorate him. Yet it is 
pleasant to behold places associated with the lives of men who 
have stamped their names and characters upon the history of 
their race. Among these, surely, may he counted the chival- 
rous and daring leader who devoted to his country's aggran- 
dizement forty years of his life; to use his own words, ^'with 
small allowance of food, less sleep, and constantly under arms 
and in harness ; " and who filled with his deeds one of the 
most dazzling pages of history. To a military man, Cortes 
presents the model of a partisan officer ; and the moral of his 
career as such is, that its success was mainly due to his bold- 
ness, and apparent contempt of all caution : only apparent ; for, 
in reality, the marquis was shrewd and cunning as well as 
daring. 

On the next day we arrived at Trujillo, the native town of 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 57 

another of tlie heroes of Estremadura, — Francisco Pizarro. A 
tomb is here shown in the church as that of the conqueror of 
Peru, upon which reclines his statue in armor; but, having 
seen another in the cathedral of Lima said to be his, I took 
the liberty of doubting its genuineness. Pizarro was of hum- 
ble origin, the son of a swineherd, and is said to have been 
suckled by an Estremenian sow, — an appropriate nurse for a 
native of this province, though somewhat humbler than that 
of the founders of ancient E-ome. His house is near the plaza, 
easily to be recognized by the statues of Indians in chains 
on its front and at the corners. 

Leaving Trujillo, we diverged from the main road, as I de- 
sired to see more of the country; and passed the night at 
Caceres, which rivals Cincinnati in the rearing of swine. The 
country around it is fruitful and picturesque, pleasantly con- 
trasting with that we had been travelling. The houses of the 
Estremenian aristocracy have a feudal aspect, their portals 
being decorated by shields of the armorial bearings of their 
owners. The district is fertile, and produces the finest wheat, 
fruit, and wine. The streets of Caceres are neat and clean, 
well watered by running brooks : and there are some E-oman 
remains, objects of antiquity being found in the vicinity, 
which are doubtless genuine; for the Spaniards, unlike the 
Italians, have not sufficient ingenuity to reproduce these arti- 
cles of virtu. 

From Csesar's camp — the name is derived from Castro 
CcBsaris — we had a most delightful ride past old Gothic 
castles, Moorish alcazar, and Eoman ruins, to Alcantara; 
which ancient town, with its crumbling walls, and thin, flank- 
ing towers, its grim old castle, weather-stained houses, and 
narrow streets, on its bold eminence hanging over the Tagus, 
would delight an artist like Prout or Euskin. As all the 
world knows, this ancient town was founded by the celebrated 
military order of Alcantara, under the rule of St. Benedict. 



58 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

Amongst those mixed orders of monks and knights which 
shed so much lustre on the middle ages, the Benedictines 
were foremost in arms, as in erudition. Like the Templars, 
these knights, originally poor, became rich and powerful ; and, 
exciting the jealousy of the crown, the king was appointed 
their grand master two centuries after their foundation. His 
Majesty found no difficulty in disposing of the superfluous 
wealth of the order; which, having fulfilled the object of its 
existence, soon fell into decay. They have left here a splen- 
did convent, containing their church, with the tombs of many 
of the soldier-monks. 

The great sight of Alcantara is the bridge, which, I think, is 
the most remarkable in the world. It bestrides a gorge with 
walls of solid rock, through which rolls the lordly Tagus ; and 
the river expands into a lake above it. It is very deep, and is 
said to rise in a freshet to the height of a hundred and 
seventy feet. There are six arches, the two central ones hav- 
ing a span of a hundred and ten feet; and it is two hundred 
and ten feet from the parapet to the water in the ordinary 
stage of the latter. The architect has given his name to 
posterity in the inscription near the entrance : — 

"POXTEM PERPETUT MAXSUKT'lM TX srCTLA MFNDT 



FECIT DIVINA XOBILIS AKTl^ LACEl 



7T-> ." 



IX. 



THE organization of military orders, it is well known, 
dates from the time when not only Spain, but Europe 
also, was threatened with an irruption of Moslems, whose 
efforts were directed towards the supplanting of the cross by the 
crescent. The domination of Christianity being threatened, 
there sprang into existence the Templars, the Hospitallers, 
the orders of Santiago, of Calatrava, of Alcantara, and others, 
which, with true military foresight, carried the war into Asia, 
there to fight the battle to the end, their vows compelling 
them never to make peace or truce with the infidel. The cru- 
saders, who are generally but erroneously thought to have 
been barbarians, fanatics, or enthusiasts, gave to the European 
peoples the much-required ascendency over the hordes of Islam. 
They stimulated the military spirit and strengthened it, united 
Christians fraternally, and made of them a homogeneous and 
compact brotherhood. They developed the dormant senti- 
ments of the human mind, improved the condition of the serfs, 
and slowly but surely undermined the feudal system. They 
created navies (witness the knights of St. John), encouraged 
commerce and manufactures, and gave society a powerful 
impulse in the direction of enlightenment. 

For themselves, the military orders renounced all those 
things which command the exertions of mankind, being vowed 
to celibacy, poverty, and obedience, many of them condemning 
themselves to perpetual mendicity. They also spread them- 

59 



60 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

selves everywhere, laboring to convert souls to Christ, and 
devoting their most strenuous efforts to release the host of 
captives held by the Mussulmans. 

Centuries afterwards, the existence of the Church was again 
threatened by the schism of Luther : and, the ancient orders 
having fallen into decay, a brilliant Spanish knight, laying 
aside his carnal arms, betook himself to a preparatory course 
of prayer, seclusion, and fasting ; after which he founded the 
order of Jesus. 

At this juncture fleshly arms were unavailing to help the 
Church : the age required her defenders to put on the armor of 
learning and astuteness. The mere mention of the name 
of the Jesuits suffices to invoke vague fears in the minds of 
many, — a sentiment of indefinable dread, as of an irruption 
of savage Indians, like those who threatened society in the 
early days of our republic. We are as alarmed at the estab- 
lishment of a school or college of this order as if it were to be 
made the means of our enslavement. Shutting our eyes to the 
vast and increasing corruption of the whole machinery of our 
government, the open bribery, the lack of education, and the 
predominance of ruffianism, in our governing classes, we cry 
out against the dangers of priestcraft with furious animosity. 

Men do not despise the Jesuits : they fear them. It may be 
seen immediately, that he who attacks them believes himself 
opposed to no insignificant adversaries. In his heart he be- 
lieves that every thing relating to the Jesuits is a grave matter, 
and that the least indulgence of them is dangerous, the least 
negligence fatal. 

The spirit of the age is essentially one of scientific and 
literary progress ; and, knowing this, the Jesuits act accord- 
ingly. 

For this reason so many learned and eminent men are found 
among them. Their knowledge and influence are always ex- 
ercised in extending the beneficent teachings of the Church, 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 61 

in pursuance of which they have already encompassed the 
globe ; and having preached the gospel everywhere in person, 
and not by the distribution of books, they return to add their 
valuable treasures of experience to the common fund of science 
and education. These are the crimes for which they cheerfully 
endure obloquy, persecution, and death. 

At the establishment of the military orders, the world cried 
out, "What an unnatural alliance ! — the ecclesiastical character 
combined with that of the soldier! How incompatible !" But 
it was soon seen that those institutions were in conformity 
with the natural order of things at that period. It was a 
strong remedy for immense evils, which threatened anarchy, 
and retarded civilization. And so with the foundation of 
the order of Jesus. Men could not successfully combat their 
arguments, or vanquish them in the field of controversy ; so 
they cried out against their influence over the mind. 

And still the most prejudiced cannot deny that these orders 
of which I have spoken all acted with utter self-abnegation, 
and that through their efforts much good was effected, while 
in their institution and action we plainly see the finger of 
God directing them. 

Keturning from this little digression, we will resume our 
itinerary. 

After leaving Alcantara, we were ferried over the Tagiis, 
and took the road to Placencia, passing through Coria, famous 
for its Pelasgian walls thirty feet in thickness, and a remark- 
able tower of the middle ages, a fine example of Gothic con- 
struction, with corner bartizans and machicolated summit. 

We entered Placencia to the sound of the cathedral-bells 
sweetly singing the Angelus, and rode at once to the posada, 
which we found very comfortable. We were served with an 
excellent supper, including a dish of the delicate trout of the 
vicinity, famous for their size and flavor, and with the fine 
wine of the country. The attendance of the most beautiful 



62 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

young woman I had yet seen in Spain gave a zest to our 
repast. 

She was the moza of the posada : she had large, liquid hlack 
eyes, regular and pearly teeth, a brilliant complexion, perfect 
figure, and an abundant glossy black chevelure. 

Even the usually demure Juanito was carried away by the 
exquisite loveliness of this Estremenian maid, and acknowl- 
edged, that, even in his own province of Andalusia, he had 
never seen such a vision of beauty ; " Although," he added 
deprecatingly, " Que lastima falta el meneo Andaluz ! " 
(" What a pity she should want the graceful carriage of an 
Andalusian ! '') 

In the morning, leaving Juanito to enjoy the society of the 
fair maid of the inn, I sallied forth with a person I picked up, 
who had nothing better to do, — there are always plenty such 
in Spain, and really intelligent ones too, — to view the sights 
of Placencia. 

The old town is indeed "pleasant;" for even at this time, 
after travelling in all parts of the wide world, both before and 
since my visit to it, never have I beheld such varied changes 
of view, and all charming. It is girdled by the silver Xerte ; 
and the twin-valleys of the Valle and La Vera are perfect 
gems of landscape. The artist will find here all scenic acces- 
sories that he could wish. The river, the rocks, and the dis- 
tant mountains of the Sierra de Bejar and de la Vera ; the 
ancient houses, domes, and steeples of the town ; the " flanking 
walls that round it sweep ; " city, castle, aqueduct in ruins, and 
picturesque figures to embellish the foreground in appropriate 
costume, — are all to be found in perfection. Let me add that 
the climate is mild and salubrious, and the sky of the true 
ultramarine tint ; and he would be hard to please indeed 
who could fail to find here subjects for his pencil. The 
scenery far exceeds that of the famed Valley of the Arno in 
its variety and richness. 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 63 

This part of Estremadura is fertile, the land producing 
abundant cereal crops, — vegetables, the vine, and the olive. 
Its grazing-grounds furnish rich pastures for cattle. There is 
good shooting in the neighborhood, and the mountain-streams 
abound in trout. No wonder Charles V. selected it as tlie 
place of his retirement, familiar though he was with every 
part of Europe. I ascended to the roof of the cathedral, and 
stood entranced by the magnificent and smiling panorama of 
which it is the centre ; and again climbed to it on the morn- 
ing of my departure to carry away with me the freshest pos- 
sible memory of a spot so lovely. Thirty years have elapsed 
since that last look, and in the interval I have seen many no- 
ble prospects ; but I reflect upon fair Placencia as surpassing 
them all. 

It is eight leagues from Placencia to Yuste, — the retreat of 
Charles v., — which I intended to traverse rapidly ; but was 
delayed by involuntary halts to contemplate the ever-recur- 
ring and varying prospects on the way. 

We passed and exchanged frequent salutations with parties 
of women and girls, who walked, balancing baskets on their 
heads. They were carrying provisions to their male relatives, 
the vine-dressers, who were busily engaged in harvesting the 
grape-crop in the vineyards of the Valley of the Vera. Mer- 
rily they tripped along, clad in their picturesque costume, with 
stockingless, sandalled feet, beguiling their way with songs 
and laughter. It seemed like a scene in a comic opera. 

Arriving shortly after noon at the farm of Magdalena, in 
sight of the old Convent of San Geronimo (the emperor's cele- 
brated retreat), we lunched there on our own fare ; after which 
we ascended to the monastery. I was so lucky as to secure 
as cicerone here Eather Alonso Caballero, a venerable priest, 
who took holy orders, as he told me, in October, 1778, and who 
showed me all the interesting historical places of the convent- 
ual remains, which are much dilapidated. 



64 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

The convent is entered by a gateway ; near which stands a 
patriarchal walnut-tree called the nogal grande, under which 
the august recluse has doubtless often mused. The church 
and the chambers occupied by the self-dethroned emperor are 
still intact. Erom the former a door communicates with his 
bedroom ; and the chamber has a window which commands a 
view of the altar, so that the bed-ridden monarch could wit- 
ness the elevation of the sacred elements in the mass. Here 
also hung the celebrated Gloria of Titian, as we are told, 
which accompanied the emperor in his journeys, and upon 
which his last gaze was devoutly fixed. 

Charles desired that this picture should be hung wherever 
his body rested after death; and his son, Philip II., trans- 
ferred it to the Escorial. Here is the cabinet of the emperor, 
and several other rooms with fireplaces in them, — a domestic 
luxury rarely seen in Spanish houses, — the hrasero being 
mostly used. The windows of these rooms command fine 
views ; and they communicate by a cloister with the private 
garden, in which still may be seen the antique sun-dial of 
which we read in history. The emperor did not long enjoy 
the pleasant retirement he had promised himself here ; for he 
died in about a year after taking possession. 

In reviewing the splendid career of this monarch, — if I 
may be permitted to express an opinion, — I should say that 
his history has yet to be written, so unjust, querulous, and 
fault-finding have been those who have hitherto undertaken 
the work. This is especially true of those writers who are ac- 
cepted authorities in this country ; for in considering his mo- 
tives and actions during the wars he waged, — chiefly religious 
wars, — they do not seem to take into the account the customs, 
manners, and sentiments of the period. In laying down his 
imperial power, Charles has given us the evidence of his great- 
ness, even had he not been born to a throne ; for the step was 
caused by no morbid misanthropy or disgust with the world in 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 65 

which he had played so important a part. His retirement 
was due to sheer weariness of worldly matters, and a desire 
for absolute repose and reconcilement with Heaven, before 
whose tribunal he knew he must soon appear to render an ac- 
count of his stewardship. He wished to finish his reign of 
sovereign power, during which he had overrun civilized Europe 
with his hardy Spanish veterans, by making expiation for his 
gins and misdeeds before it was too late. He set about this 
immediately upon arriving at Yuste, and, as the event proved, 
not a moment too soon for his salvation. 

By the kind permission of the good prior, I slept in the 
bed-chamber of the mighty dead, the darkness of which was 
somewhat relieved by the solitary altar-lamp shining through 
the window, undisturbed by any visions of its former occupant. 
In the early morning I attended the first mass, being one in a 
small congregation consisting of two or three friars, a couple 
of poor women, and a beggar. At the termination of the ser- 
vice, I bowed a long farewell to the altar upon which had been 
fixed the last dying gaze of the great Charles V. Then, 
mounting our beasts, we slowly recommenced our wayfaring 
eastward, and soon bade adieu to Estremadura, and entered 
the kingdom of Toledo. 
6* 



OUE next halt was at Talavera, situated on the Tagus, in 
the midst of a beautiful and fertile vega, or plain, and 
famous as the scene of the battle which raised Sir Arthur 
Wellesley to the peerage. As this battle is so well described 
in Napier's excellent " History of the Peninsular War," I 
merely refer the reader to it, as giving a trustworthy account 
of the success of a campaign which seemed to be already lost 
by Wellington, but in which Fortune, proverbially fickle in 
war, deserted the French eagles, to perch on his victorious 
standards. 

At Talavera I reluctantly discharged my mozo, Juanito, 
who was long enough away from his relatives, and who, as 
he told me, quiero a descanzarme ("wished to rest himself"). 
I then sold my animals, and proceeded by diligence to Madrid, 
stopping a couple of days at Toledo by the way. 

I shall not describe the capital city of Spain, as it has been 
already " done " so often by travellers and tourists ; and will 
merely say that there are many other cities of the Peninsula 
decidedly preferable to it on every account. It is notoriously 
an unhealthy place, the climate being subject to extreme 
variations of heat and cold ; and even its native inhabitants 
have to go about emhozado (covering the mouth with the 
cloak). 

The country around Madrid is desolate and inhospitable, 
and its situation as the geographical centre of Spain is a dis- 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 67 

advantage ; for all supplies coming seaward must be trans- 
ported at immense expense, which makes it the dearest 
capital in Europe. The wealth of the Spanish capital in art- 
treasures is inestimable : the museo contains pictures, even 
to name which makes the eyes of the connoisseur glisten 
with delight. Here is that celebrated canvas of Velasquez, 
called familiarly " Las Lanzas," a representation of the sur- 
render of Breda, in which is produced the curious effect of 
an actual glitter of the lances of the guard, so magical are the 
lights and shadows. Here also is that picture of E-aphael, 
known as the " Pearl," sold by Cromwell to Philip IV. for 
two thousand pounds, and which the present British Govern- 
ment would be too happy to repurchase at fifty times that 
amount ; the Pasmo de Sicilia, the virgin of the fish ; and 
Titian's Charles V., said to be the finest equestrian portrait in 
the world. The emperor is arrayed in the suit of armor still 
to be seen in the royal armory. 

The collection of arms and armor in the royal palace is un- 
paralleled ; and, in viewing it, one is carried back at once to 
the heroic age of Spain. These swords and lances were 
wielded by her noblest champions ; these helmets covered the 
heads of her wisest warriors; and beneath these corselets beat 
the hearts of those forever famous in history, and embalmed 
in poetry. The silent but eloquent records are for the most 
part genuine ; and the flaunting, moth-eaten banners on the 
walls were actually taken from the enemies of Spain, either 
Moslem or Christian. 

As to society, there are few dinner-parties except in the 
foreign diplomatic circle ; for Spaniards seldom entertain in 
that manner anywhere, but en revanche there is an institu- 
tion of a national character well worthy of imitation. I 
refer to the tertulia^ which, as in other Spanish cities, is held 
every evening somewhere. It is simply a meeting, by tacit 
understanding, among persons of the same social circle at 



(58 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

each other's houses in rotation. The lady of the house is 
the supreme autocrat of the evening ; even its master consid- 
ering himself merely a guest for the time being. Having 
assembled at a rather early hour, the ladies amuse them- 
selves with cards, conversation, games, or music, as they 
please ; and, the gentlemen arriving later in the evening, these 
amusements are succeeded by quadrilles, waltzes, and contra- 
danzas. One of these latter is known in America as the 
German ; but, years before its introduction here, I have often 
seen it danced in Spain at tertulias under its true name, 
— the contradanza Espanol. Ko entertainment is given 
at the tertulia, the rule being rigidly enforced, un vaso de 
agua y buen venida (" a glass of water and welcome "). Thus 
many who move in the best society, who may indeed possess 
fine houses, but who cannot afford to provide expensive 
entertainments, are not therefore "tabooed" from social 
enjoyment. This plan also saves many heart-burnings, Mrs. 
B. not being able to triumph over Mrs. C. in the elegance and 
richness of her viands. 

While awaiting the orders of the American minister I had 
ample time for seeing all the sights of Madrid, and to take 
part in the amusements of the capital. I also visited Cordova 
and other places of interest in the South. Granada I had 
already seen ; but, as they are so well described by others, do 
not deem it necessary to go into details of my observations. 

As the time of my departure drew near, and as it was more 
desirable than ever to travel on horseback on account of the 
civil war then raging in the Peninsula (the diligence, in 
addition to its other inconveniences, being alternately robbed 
by Christine guerrillas and Carlist bands), I frequented the 
Puerta del Sol daily in order to secure attendants for my 
journey. While watching one day the empleomaniacos 
(office-seekers) and others who are perpetually engaged in 
polishing the pavement of this well-known rendezvous of the 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 69 

Madrilenos, chance threw in my way the very man I wanted. 
Absorbed in my contemplations, I was saved from contact 
with a donkey laden with firewood by a robust person who 
swung the little animal clear of me by his " narrative " in a 
nonchalant style, chaffing his driver at the same time in 
terms any thing but complimentary. I accosted this person 
for the purpose of thanking him for the service he had 
rendered me, excusing myself for my abstraction. 

All Spaniards, high and low, have a grave, high-bred air ; 
and my unknown friend was no exception to the rule. I saw 
at the first glance that he was of a class very popular in 
Spain, although not of the highest respectability. He was 
evidently one of the aficion, or what we should call the 
" fancy ; " in short, a toreador (bull-fighter). He seemed 
about forty. His round bullet-head, bald on the forehead and 
temples, surmounted by the Andalusian montera ; his mutton- 
chop whiskers on a face otherwise cleanly shaved ; his club- 
cue, tied with a black ribbon ; broad shoulders ; tapering 
waist ; and long and sinewy arms, shown to advantage by the 
majo costume ; together with an indescribable jaunty air, — all 
proclaimed the aficionado. There was a roguish twinkle in 
his one eye ; and I observed that he had a halting gait, the 
left leg being bent under him, and shorter than its companion. 

Having frequently seen their exhibitions in the arena, I 
had acquired a strong sympathy with this class of people, 
inspired by the very manly and dashing qualities they display 
iu pitting their skill and agility against the mere brute force 
of the toro (bull). In none of our modern games can be 
witnessed a greater display of virile courage, nerve, and 
dexterity, than in the Spanish bull-fight. Deprecate it as we 
may, it is a nobler test than the disgraceful " P. R." tolerated 
among us. To see a young, graceful, elegantly-attired man, 
armed only with a slim, shining sword, facing a huge, fero- 
cious brute of twenty times his strength, awaiting his onset 



70 KEEL AND SADDLE, 

with a keen, determined glance, relying only on his eye and 
agile muscle, yet confident in his ability to slay his powerful 
adversary, is a truly thrilling spectacle. And when the bull, 
confiding in his strength, lowers his stately head, levels his 
long sharp horns, and rushes upon the man as if to sweep 
him out of existence in a moment, the toreador, stepping 
lightly aside, masks the furious animal with his capa ; while in 
the same instant the keen weapon, quick as the levin bolt, 
pierces the spinal process at the nervous centre, and the bull 
falls headlong, to die in a few minutes. 

I soon found that my new acquaintance was accustomed to 
travel ; having already, in the practice of his calling, visited 
every part of the kingdom, even so far as remote Galicia. 

By his references I also learned that he was a man of 
courage and tact, and as honest and truthful as could be 
expected. He was, too, versed in cookery and in foraging, 
— no mean accomplishments in Spain. He had recently 
been severely hurt in an encounter with an enraged bull 
while essaying some foolhardy exploit ; and his lameness thus 
occasioned disabled him from appearing in the cuadrilla. He 
was therefore open to an engagement, which I soon concluded 
with him. The name of my squire was Manuel Blasco y 
Gusman, a native of Triana, a suburb of Seville. 

I was amused by hearing the name of Gusman, one of 
the noblest lineages of Spain ; but found that this was no 
uncommon instance of a lofty patronymic borne by a person 
of humble station. The great lords of ancient days often 
gave their names to their slaves upon manumitting them ; and 
some of these latter, becoming famous, were ennobled in their 
turn: which complication has led to such confusion in names, 
that some travellers have asserted that all Spaniards are of 
noble blood. 

Our preparations having been completed, El Tuerto (" the 
one-eyed ") and myself, followed by a mozo with a pack-mule, 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 71 

rode out of Madrid by the fine road connecting the city with 
the Escorial, which runs for some distance along the Manza- 
nares. The noble bridge across that stream, with its tall 
bridge house and stone statues, would command admiration 
if it only bestrode a river; for the muddy gutter which creeps 
beneath its high arches seems ashamed of its own insignifi- 
cance. The country is barren, and the population sparse and 
poor, in the neighborhood of the capital ; and we were glad 
to see at the fifth league the palace of the Escorial rising in 
dreary, solitary state by the side of the lofty sierra. 

By invitation of an officer I had known in Madrid, I spent 
the rest of the day and night in this magnificent monument 
of the Spanish kings, which contains a royal palace, a mon- 
astery with a superb church, the remains of a fine librarj'', and 
the royal mausoleum. But I will not attempt a description 
of the Escorial ; for I experienced no other sentiment than that 
of oppression amid its gloomy splendors. It is seldom used 
by the court, and remains a monument of misspent millions, 
which, used in almost any other way, might have unspeakably 
benefited the nation. 

We resumed our journey at early dawn, taking the road 
which ascends circuitously the steep and rugged sides of the 
Guadarrama range, and arriving before noon at San Ildefonso 
and La Granja. This chateau en Espagne is called the 
" castle in the air," standing nearly four thousand feet above 
the sea-level, and is a truly noble royal residence, amid 
magnificent alpine scenery, rocks, forests, and waterfalls, sur- 
rounding it in picturesque profusion ; while above all towers 
the lofty peak of Peiialard to the height of eight thousand feet. 

It was here that the imbecile Ferdinand VII. in 1832 
signed the obnoxious decree revoking the repeal of the Salic 
law ; which, however, remained but a short time in force, when 
he again repealed it, and declared Isabel II. his successor ; 
which measure caused, ultimately^ the civil war now raging. 



72 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

The artificial accessories of this royal retreat, including the 
irrigation of the gardens, cascades, canals, and fish-ponds, are 
wonderfully complete. There is a model farm in a sunny 
nook called La Quinta de Quitapesares (" The Farm of away 
with Melancholy ") ; and here the modern Bido — Queen 
Christina — first met her Eneas, — Munoz. From La Grranja 
we descended the mountain by easy grades ; and Manuel Blasco 
enlivened our wayfaring by his version of the story of Dona 
Christina, her palace intrigues and bold strokes of policj^ with 
silly old Ferdinand YII., his brother Don Carlos, an<l the 
soldier Munoz. His being also the popular version, I shall 
give it hereafter. 

Before he had finished we arrived in the plain, and saw 
before us the crumbling walls of Segovia, and the pointed roofs 
of the towers of its curious alcazar, called by Le Sage, in 
" Gil Bias," a tower ; though there are several included in the 
edifice. 

Having refreshed and restored ourselves, we took our way 
to the old castle, which I was curious to inspect. It exhibits 
both Gothic and Moorish characteristics, and rests upon a 
Roman foundation. Its keep is tall, square, and massive, with 
turrets at the angles, dating back to the twelfth century, and 
is replete with historical souvenirs. 

From its lofty walls the worthy and magnificent Isabel the 
Catholic was proclaimed Queen of Castile ; and from its gate- 
way she issued alone, on horseback, for the purpose of quelling 
a mob, which she awed into subjection by her majestic appear- 
ance and strong will. 

Here Eipperda, the daring minister of Charles V., was con- 
fined ; and here came Charles I. of England, a suitor for the 
fair hand which he failed to obtain ; and here, too, Gil Bias 
was confined, as we are told in his veracious autobiography. 

Beside this picturesque and venerable relic of the past 
glories of Castile there is a chapel of the Templars, a Geron- 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 73 

imite conventj a curious little church built on the model 
of the Holy Sepulchre, and the ancient mint, which in former 
times used the water-power of the Eresma, — a brawling little 
brook running through the town : it is probably the oldest 
mint in Europe. The Boman aqueduct, which was in use up 
to 1433, when it was repaired by Isabel the Catholic, is also 
interesting, especially to an engineer. 
7 



XI, 



AT Segovia I met with Col. Eeyes, an artillery-officer, 
with whom I had acquaintance ; and as he was conduct- 
ing several hatteries and some recruits to the army of Espartero, 
and politely invited me to accompany him northwards, I ac- 
cepted the offer, rather to the discontent of my squire El 
Tuerto, who was a Carlist in politics, although he warily con- 
cealed his opinions. We accordingly set forth together ; and 
passing hy Medina del Campo and Simancas, in the castle of 
which latter place Col. E-eyes kindly aided me in inspecting 
the interesting archives there deposited, arrived on the fourth 
day at Valladolid. 

In the fifteenth century this was without a peer among 
Spanish cities. Says the proverh, " Villa por villa, Valladolid 
in Castilla ; " hut now it is sadly on the wane. Its inhabit- 
ants hoast themselves as genuine old Castilians still, and are 
grave and formal, all hidalgos, and, let us add, terrible bores. 
Its very stones are historical, as is well known. 

I here took leave of my kind friend Col. Heyes, who passed 
through without stopping, but not until he had introduced 
me to the governor and some other valuable acquaintances. 
Having seen the various sights of the old capital of Castile, 
I prepared to prosecute my journey, and held a council with 
Blasco on the subject of our route to the north. 

The man of the single eye preferred the road via Lerma, 
with which he was familiar ; "And besides," said he, " we shall 
74 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 75 

not in that case have to travel with chapelgorris (Christine 
militia) and other gente sin verguenza (low fellows), but 
shall have the road to ourselves." He also urged that the 
main road to Burgos was infested with highwaymen and 
rateros (foot-pads) ; adding with a lofty air, " I, sir, who 
address you, am accustomed to the society of caballeros (gen- 
tlemen) and toreadores valle?ites (valiant bull-fighters), and, 
rather than travel with such persons as we have been with for 
the past week, would much prefer to be alone with your worship 
and Pedro the mozoP 

These and other cogent reasons were urged with such force 
by El Tiierto, that I accepted his view of the case, although 
with some suspicion that he had a private purpose *to serve 
by diverging from the usually-travelled road. 

On the dawn of the day appointed, I arose, performed my 
toilet, broke my fast, and awaited the appearance of Blasco 
with the beasts ; but he did not arrive. At last Pedro came, 
and said that my squire had been arrested on the evening 
before, and was now in prison awaiting trial for his life by 
a military commission. His alleged crime was an aggravated 
assault on a sergeant of artillery. In Spain, summary execu- 
tion so often follows an arrest in times like the present, that 
I was seriously alarmed, and immediately went to visit poor 
Blasco at the carcel militar, expecting to find him in the 
depths of despair. On the contrary, he was neither penitent, 
nor in the least alarmed ; carelessly puffing his cigarette, and 
laughing at the suggestion that he was in peril. He regretted 
extremely that he should have caused me the least inconve- 
nience, but expressed no apprehension for himself, declaring 
that the commanding general would set him at liberty imme- 
diatety on my application to that effect. " For," said he, ^' you 
know, teniente mio (my lieutenant), that we are attached to 
the honorable American legation near su Tnagestad catolica, 
and so are exempted from all ordinary interference while travel- 
ling on service." 



76 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

Blasco was right in his conclusions ; for my application to 
the military governor was successful, and the order for his lib- 
eration given immediately. 

This little episode, as frequently happens in like cases, was 
brought about by the universal casus belli, — a woman. My 
squire was a devoted ladies' man, as I had already observed ; 
and, on the evening in question, was engaged in the kitchen of 
the Fonda up to a late hour, entertaining the cook. The 
sergeant of artillery entered, and joined in the conversation, 
doubtless, as M. de Trop. The seance continued peaceably 
enough until an argument arose between the two gentlemen 
concerning the merits of their respective provinces, the ser- 
geant befiig a Galician. 

After disparaging Andalusia and her sons at some length, 
the sergeant became personal, and drew forth a bitter retort 
upon the Spanish Boeotia (G-alicia) from El Tuerto, who, an- 
swering the reflections on his province and the contemp- 
tuous allusion of the sergeant to his single eye at one blow, 
with characteristic wit repeated the proverb, " En la tierra de 
los ciegos, el tuerto es rey" ("In the land of the blind, the 
one-eyed is king"). 

The soldier rejoined by applying to Blasco a name which 
signifies a bull which shrinks from encountering his enemies 
in the arena, — un hlando. To call a man by such a name in 
the presence of a lady was to inflict an unbearable insult. The 
aficionado rose from his seat, moved towards his rival, and 
addressed him : " Know, friend sergeant, that I am not a 
hlando,) but that I am duro chocante, carnicero y pegajoso " 
(a bull which kills horses, upsets the bull-fighters, and clears 
the arena), in the slang of the plaza de toros, at the same time 
giving the soldier a sound box on the ear. 

The latter sprang up, and drew his sword ; but the one-eyed 
man, quick as lightning, disarmed and overthrew him, placing 
his foot upon his neck. The cook screamed murder. Servants, 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 77 

soldiers, and outsiders generally, hurried to the scene, but stood 
shrinking before El Tuerto, who faced them, his foot on his 
foe, his one eye glittering with rage, and his sabre describing 
the moulinet round his head. 

At last the patrol appeared, commanded by an officer : but 
even to him Blasco refused to surrender save on terms of 
honorable capitulation ; these being, that his opponent should 
be placed in arrest, while he himself should be put in the 
military prison, instead of the calahozo, the latter being the 
place of incarceration of vulgar criminals. His conditions 
being allowed, he gracefully yielded his sword to the officer. 

This weiglity matter having been brought to a satisfactory 
conclusion, our little cavalcade set forth, contrary to our usual 
custom, in the afternoon ; and that night we slept at the vil- 
lage of Olivares, at the house of some one whom I took to be 
an intimate friend of Blasco, judging from the hearty accolade 
between them upon meeting, — a welcome also warmly con- 
firmed by the friend's wife, with whom my companion's rela- 
tions must have been exceedingly friendly ; for he retired with 
her to the kitchen, and, by their joint efforts, an excellent 
supper was soon provided. Next morning we took the road, 
and arrived before noon at Aranda on the Duero. Here my 
guide turned aside from the camino real running from Ma- 
drid to Burgos, and led us through a most romantic country, in 
which each step revealed an ever-changing prospect, to Penar- 
anda del Duero, which we reached about two, p.m. 

Having rested at the humble posada of the little village, I 
strolled forth to inspect a ruined castle I had observed 
perched upon a bold hill, the base of which was surrounded by 
dilapidated, Prout-like houses, about which lounged beggars in 
Murillo-like rags. 

" This," said Blasco, " is Penaranda de la perra, from a 
tradition which says that the Moors once held the castle obsti- 
nately, being besieged by the Christians with unavailing 
7* 



78 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

patience, until one day some of the besiegers saw a bitch 
(^perra) move out of a hole, which was a secret passage into 
the castle, and which they marked well. That night a forlorn 
hope entered the stronghold by this passage ; and, the assault 
being given at the same time, the fortress was taken, and its 
garrison put to the sword. The castle is the casa solar ^ or 
family seat, of the Zuiiigas, counts of Miranda." 

Ourselves and our beasts having been refreshed, we mounted, 
and rode leisurely northward through a fine country. Having 
a long ride before us, and being inclined to conversation, I 
dropped alongside of my squire, and offered him an excellent 
puro of Havana, which always put him in a cheerful mood. The 
Spaniards, generally, retain many of the Oriental customs and 
manners, and, among these, have a great weakness for stories, 
both as narrators and listeners. This is especially true of the 
Andalusians, who, born in the land of the Moors, and nearer 
the sun than others of their countrymen, partake in a greater 
degree of the temperament of their former Moslem masters. 
These cosas de Espana are often mentioned by foreign writers ; 
and all the world knows that these propensities have brought 
upon the Andalusians the satire of their neighbors, the 
French: indeed, but for them, we should never have had 
the wonderful exploits of Don Quixote, as detailed for the 
world's amusement by the immortal Cervantes. 

Blasco was somewhat given to story-telling : and, having 
gently urged him to exercise his power in this direction, I was 
not surprised that the dreamy air of the autumnal weather 
seemed to stimulate his faculties, as he withdrew his cigar 
from his lips, and answered me, '' It always saddens me, 
senor mio, to contemplate such ruins as those we saw to-day, 
even for the fortieth time ; and I cannot help figuring to my- 
self the persons who once occupied them, who wept, or were 
merry, and who, perchance, thought the same thoughts that 
we are thinking, or suffered the same griefs and enjoyed the 
same pleasures that are ours. 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 79 

" The place we have just left behind has its traditions of a 
past generation ; and I shall be happy to relate to your wor- 
ship, if you have the patience to listen to a story of the 
country, a tale of events which happened in the very neigh- 
borhood." 

I gladly assented to the proposition of my worthy squire ; 
and Manuel Blasco, signing to Pedro to approach nearer in 
order to give him what he knew would be a gratification, be- 
gan his story. It is impossible for me to give the reader an 
idea of the air and gesticulation of the narrator, or to convey 
to the ear his sonorous tones as he rolled out the magniloquent 
Castilian sentences of his romance ; but I will endeavor, in 
the following chapter, to give his story an English transla- 
tion. 



XII. 

" "ly yT"ANY years ago, when Moor and Christian were still 

-LVLL contending for the possession of the Peninsula, the 
town and castle of Penaranda were held in fief by Baltazar 
de Zuniga, Count of Miranda. You may yet see his tomb 
at the colegiata in the village, and that of his wife, with 
others of that ancient family. 

" Count Baltazar was a dissipated young man, and passed his 
time mostly in hunting and chivalric employments, varied by 
frequent carousals with his riotous and debauched companions, 
making love to all the pretty women of the neighborhood, and 
availing himself to the letter of his feudal derechos de senor 
(seignorial rights). After succeeding to the titles and estates, 
he began the burning of the candle at both ends ; and his 
course of profligacy at last alienated from him all his respect- 
able friends. The only ones who remained to him were the 
drunkards and gamblers, whose society he seemed to prefer. 

"As might be expected, he finally squandered all the ready 
money left him by his father, and all he could borrow on his 
personal property ; but the fief of Penaranda, being a mayo- 
razzo (entailed estate), he could not alienate. 

" His creditors, the Jews, held the count in great dread ; for 
when they came up to the castle to dun him for the payment 
of their dues, loaned on usurious terms, he worried them griev- 
ously with his boon companions, and sometimes kicked them 
down the superb staircase you were to-day admiring into 
80 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 81 

the court -yard, whereby their bones were often seriously 
damaged. 

" I pointed out to your worship, as we passed it, the ancient 
Convent of San Domingo de Silos, the tutelar of which worked 
many miracles in his lifetime, and delivered so many captives 
from slavery in Africa, that, in gratitude, they performed pil- 
grimages thither to hang up their chains at the gates. The 
abbot was not free from the popular contempt for the Jews, and 
upheld his neighbor the count in this treatment, who, he de- 
clared, was an example of feudal and seignorial excellence in 
his just scorn of the Hebrews ; and he counselled Don Baltazar 
to go on witli the good work. He further told the count, that, 
in order to carry out this work, he ought to take the cross 
without delay, and proceed to Granada, where our sovereign 
lord and lady, Ferdinand and Isabel, were prosecuting a holy 
war. There, while slaying infidels, he would undoubtedly, 
at the same time, acquire great store of treasure, wherewith, 
returning to his native heritage, he might enjoy ana vida 
descansada (a lifelong rest). 

"Don Baltazar, convinced of the excellence of the worthy 
prelate's advice, both spiritual and worldly, immediately assem- 
bled his vassals, put on his armor, and departed for the land of 
the infidel, to the great joy of all his neighbors and most of 
his friends. Arriving at his destination, he set to work vig- 
orously, slaying Paynims, sacking towns and villages, and 
conducting himself in all ways like a valiant Christian knight. 

" In his new vocation, which was very agreeable to God, the 
king, and himself, Baltazar gained great renown as a good 
servant of the Church and the State, after the fashions of the 
times. He also amused himself much in that distant country; 
oftener giving a golden ducat to a pretty girl than a silver 
penny to a beggar. 

" Several years passed by, and people had almost ceased talk- 
ing about the count and his mad pranks, when he suddenly 



82 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

re-appeared in Penaraada with a numerous following of vassals 
and foreign slaves, bearing great treasures of gold and precious 
stones, the spoils of war. Those who had come back without 
any thing save wounds and holy relics were consumed with 
envy at the count's good luck. But, you know, this is an 
envious world. The very first meritorious act of the count 
was to add liberally to the wealth and possessions of the Con- 
vent of San Domingo ; to atone, as he avowed, for the sins of 
his early life. It has also come down to us, that, from a prof- 
ligate and graceless youth, the count grew to be a good and wise 
man, and was completely reconciled to God and the Church. 

"The king made him a commander of Santiago, and captain- 
general of the district ; and he conducted himself with such 
discretion in his high of&ce, that he was soon greatly beloved. 
Instead of being choleric, as in his youth, he became gentle 
in his deportment ; and the change confirmed the saying, that 
^ gray hairs bring wisdom.' The only thing that seemed to 
ruffle his temper was disrespectful mention of God or holy 
things : any one guilty of such an offence he would drive 
ignominiously from his presence, the old Adam re-appearing as 
in the days of his hot youth. 

" He repaired and added to the castle, and furnished it anew 
in a royal manner, astonishing the neighbors with its Sara- 
cenic splendor. He greatly ameliorated the condition of his 
serfs, established mills on his domains, and increased his 
flocks and herds. By stimulating agriculture, and otherwise 
improving his seignorial fiefs, he soon augumented their value 
and population ; and at any time could have summoned to his 
banner a thousand fighting-men from his own domains. In 
such good works did the Count of Miranda grow old upon his 
^states, governing his vassals paternally and benevolently, and 
administering impartial justice as their lord and suzerain. 

"Sometimes, however, he put in execution his right to hang 
incorrigible criminals, when justly convicted before his judg- 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 83 

ment seat ; thus vindicating the majesty of the law and his 
feudal privileges. He was especially rigid with all robbers and 
marauders, saying that they were to be regarded as wicked 
beasts of prey; and summarily consigning them to the gallows, 
which stood before the castle-gates. Justice having been dealt 
upon them, he permitted their bodies to be buried in consecrated 
ground, declaring that they were sufficiently punished by the 
loss of life. He continued to persecute the Jews, it is true, 
but only when they were bloated with ill-gotten wealth: and 
until they had acquired it by usury, and waxed fat, he let them 
severely alone ; then he pounced upon and despoiled them for 
the profit of the church and tlie king, reserving a small share 
for himself This, with grim wit, he styled tax-gathering. 

" Thus this bluff and hearty lord acquired the esteem of every 
one in his district, rich and poor, great and small, by his pro- 
tection of life and property. The consciousness of duty per- 
formed gave cheeriness to his visage ; and the Abbot of San 
Domingo coming to visit him one day, and remarking this, 
accosted the count with, ^ Ha, ha, my good lord! you are 
merry : you must have had some one hanged to-day.' 

" When, attended by his train, mounted on the strong white 
hackney he brought from the land of the infidel, he passed 
through the village, the children would run fearlessly by the 
side of the cavalcade, and shout, ' Ah, ha ! this is court day ; 
here is the Senor Conde : buenos dias, Senor Conde ! ' And 
the old count would smile graciously, and say to them gayly, 
^ Amuse yourselves well, my children.' And they, * Ah ! si, 
si, Senor Conde.' Thus every thing seemed to prosper with the 
count, who was now an old man with a venerable white beard. 

" In those days, besides the marauding bands, the curse of 
the period, who avoided the count's jurisdiction, there roamed 
about vagabond gitanos, or Egyptians, as they do now in 
Spain, who are not of 9ur blessed faith, mocking at it when 
they can do so with impunity ; and one of these bands came 



84 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

to Penaranda on the Eve of St. John. They encamped on the 
plaza, and were seen hy some of the villagers scoffing at the 
statue of our Blessed Lady ; one of them, a very pretty young 
woman, dancing and posturing in very abbreviated garments. 
For this sacrilege it was agreed by the authorities that she 
should be burned as a wicked spawn of the Devil, — a fate not 
uncommonly meted out to these heathens in those days. 

" But the old count came to the rescue, and by his logic 
proved to the people that it would be a much more agreeable 
thing to our Blessed Lady to rescue this poor lost soul from 
the claws of Satan, and to convert her to the true faith, as the 
fagot would only consume her body, without burning the devil 
who inhabiited it, and her soul would be lost forever. 

*^ The matter having been referred to the archbishop, the 
count's reasoning isvas found to be sound, his conclusions wise, 
and even aa;nonical, and in conformity with Christian charity 
and the holy evangel. But the ladies of the town and other 
respectable persons loudly proclaimed, that, by the change of 
programme, they would be deprived of a gran funcion ; also 
urging that the proposed conversion of the gitano would be 
merely nominal and insincere. P,erhaps they had reason ; 
for the girl, deprived of her liberty an<|. the free air and light 
to which she had been accustomed, was sl^ ip^patient of duress 
as a young kid, and passed her time in weeping, refusing food, 
and bemoaning her hard fate continually. ' So/ said the gos- 
sips, ' she will pretend to be converted, if only to recover her 
liberty.' 

"To this the count replied, that, should the unfortunate 
stranger wish to embrace our religion, he would give them a 
much more splendid ceremony than the auto dafethej antici- 
pated, making it the occasion for even royal festivities ; and 
that he himself would stand godfather to the new convert. 

" The Morisca did not hesitate between the fagot and bap- 
tism : so she was placed in a convent near by, the sisterhood 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 85 

of which undertook to prepare her for her new destiny. Here, 
in due season, she took the vows of holiness, and was baptized 
and confirmed ; while at the first ceremony there was a great 
feast, with dancing and revelry, in honor of the Church and the 
new convert, at the count's expense. The promise of the 
latter was thus nobly redeemed ; the festivities being indeed 
of royal magnificence, and even commended by the party origi- 
nally in favor of burning. 

" Now, at the baptismal feast, the count, acting as godfather, 
had for comadre (godmother) a very beautiful young lady, the 
daughter of one of his oldest and most valued friends, an an- 
cient comrade in the Crusade, the Lord of Aranda. 

" Your worship well knows how sacred and intimate with us 
in Spain is the relation between compadre and comadre, and 
how that connection confers peculiar privileges. The Lord of 
Aranda, having assumed the cross at the same time with the 
count, was taken prisoner, and was still held captive for lack 
of means to pay the heavy ransom demanded, which was the 
greater in that he was a most doughty and valorous knight. 
His wife, the Lady of Aranda, had pledged all the revenues 
of her fief with the Jews, hoping to accumulate the necessary 
sum, and lived with her daughter in humble lodgings in the 
village, with scarce a blanket to her bed, but proud as the 
Queen of Sheba, and brave as a lioness in the good cause she 
had undertaken. 

'' Seeing her ill-concealed distress, the old count bethought 
himself of acquiring the right to serve this admirable lady by 
inducing her daughter to become his comadre at the baptism 
of .the Egyptian; for those old nobles were very punctilious. 
The worthy Count Baltazar had another object in view; and 
at the wedding clasped a heavy gold chain round the neck of 
bis fair comadre, to which he would have been but too happy 
to add his broad domains, his good sword, his white beard, 
and his white hackney, so well known in the country round. 
8 



XIII. 



" nriHE Count of Miranda had of late years perceived that 
JL he actually required a wife to assist him in ruling over 
his manorial possessions ; and it saddened him to think of his 
approaching senility, while his desires governed him tyran- 
nically as do those of all old men. So, during the festivi- 
ties, he thought of his wounds, and of the eighty years that 
had passed over his head, and of the feebleness that pre- 
vented him from joining in the dance, in which the young 
Lady of Aranda floated with the grace of Psyche. The count 
also reflected, that, if he was ever to enter into the state of 
matrimony, he had no time to lose ; and, to shorten a long 
story, he proposed to the mother of the young lady, was 
accepted, and the marriage followed in as short a time as 
it could be accomplished by the rules of the Church. 

" The lovely Inez de Aranda was only eighteen at the time 
of her union with the count, beautiful as a vision, graceful 
as an Andalusian, as full of life and gayety as a young 
mountain-kid, and blessed with a physical organization that 
defied all bodily fatigue. She would run all day long in 
chase of butterflies, or romping with her young companions ; 
and then dance all night, if permitted, without the least sign 
of weariness. With all her gayety and high spirits, she had 
been most carefully brought up by her mother ; and never 
had an un maidenly or impure thought been permitted to 
enter that snowy bosom. She had not the remotest idea of 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 87 

the passion of love, both her mind and body being virgin to 
every coarse sentiment; and she needed only wings to make 
her fit for a denizen of paradise. 

" Such was the fair young creature who suddenly quitted her 
humble abode to become the Countess of Miranda. Lowly 
and innocent as she was, she did not escape the ill-will of all 
the young ladies of the district. They envied her for the 
long blonde tresses, of which she had made a net to catch her 
superannuated lover ; for the robe of rich stuff trimmed with 
gold, a la antique ; the magnificent jewels presented by him; 
and even the great golden chain of the Saracen emir, which 
now bound her irrevocably to the old count. 

" The nuptials were celebrated in a manner becoming the 
lordly house of Zuniga, the old nobleman being attired in a 
gorgeous wedding-suit. But the contrast between her bloom 
and his wrinkles, his tottering gait and her agile and graceful 
movements, was too palpable not to be noticed and com- 
mented upon. At the sound of the marriage-bells ringing a 
joyous peal, the gay procession, and all the pomps and vani- 
ties of the ill-assorted wedding, the ladies before mentioned 
were seized with sudden desires for crops of slain Moors, a 
deluge of rich old noblemen, and even a repetition of Egyp- 
tian baptisms. 

" Immediately after the marriage, the Lady of Aranda re- 
ceived from her son-in-law a notable sum of money; with 
which she set out for Granada to ransom her husband from 
captivity, escorted to the frontier by the armed vassals of Mi- 
randa. She took leave of her daughter, giving her into the 
charge of the count with a recommendation of implicit obe- 
dience to his will, entreating him at the same time to guard 
her well. 

" I may as well say here, that she succeeded in her mission, 
and returned in due time with her lord, who had contracted 
the leprosy in his imprisonment : and, as lepers in those days 



88 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

were secluded in order to avoid contagion, his wife, faithful 
unto death, accompanied him into his retirement in a distant 
district ; where I shall leave them. 

"The nuptial rejoicings lasted for three days, to the great 
delectation of every one ; and, on the fourth, the count car- 
ried his hride in great pomp to the castle, in which the 
marriage-couch had been solemnly blessed by his friend the 
abbot. 

^•' Coolly reflecting on the step he had taken, the intoxication 
which prompted him to it having passed away, the poor old 
count began to perceive that he had not exactly done the 
proper thing in allying his senility to so much youth and 
vigor. He accordingly attempted to supply his shortcomings 
by all the means in his power, and to supplement them by 
extraordinary indulgences. He gave up to the countess the 
keys of all his treasures and stores, turning over to her also 
the full control of his domains and hereditaments ; and she, 
poor thing ! wholly inexperienced in the affairs of life, and 
innocent of heart, was in an ecstasy of delight at the gal- 
lantry of her goodman. The fair Inez, thus suddenly placed 
in possession of every thing heart could desire, and gifted, as 
we have said, with high animal spirits, betook herself to 
field-sports, and was soon engrossed in all the mysteries of 
hunting and falconry. 

"She chased the deer and the roe on plain, valley, and 
mountain-side, mounted on the famous white hackney presented 
her by the count ; and was never so happy as when flying her 
falcons and attending to their training. The poor old man at 
first attended her to the field, but was soon compelled to give 
up that pleasure in consequence of his increasing infirmities, 
after having been several times unhorsed in the vain attempt 
to renew the sports of his youth. Then, in the evenings at 
home, she would be seized with a desire for dancing, and 
would force the ancient castellan to accompany her ; but he, 



KEEL AND SADDLE, 89 

loaded with his warm and heavy clothing, soon wearied of 
the violent exercise. At last the count was compelled to 
ahstain from these saltatory entertainments altogether, and 
content himself with holding the candle for her to dance. 

" Now, when the count had ceased to accompany his wife on 
her hunting and falcon-flying expeditions, he had delegated a 
page to perform those duties for which he was too enfeebled ; 
and Dona Inez was not slow to perceive the immense difference 
between the eighty years of her husband and the twenty- 
three of this young gentleman. Although not of noble 
birth, the gallant was a skilful hunter and falconer, as well as 
an accomplished cavalier, sitting his horse upright as a dart 
beside her rein, as they flew together over hill and dale, chas- 
ing the deer, or following the lofty flight of her falcon. The 
contrast and the preference of Inez could not but be apparent 
to the count, who for the first time felt the pang of jealousy : 
so he dismissed Enrique from the post of lady's page, and 
sent him to display his accomplishments as a horseman 
among the ganado mayor (horned cattle) of a distant estate. 
He then replaced Enrique by a mere boy of his own lineage, 
of comely appearance. 

" The countess resented the exile of her favorite with all 
the malevolence of the female sex. It now was, ^ My dear 
count, I want this ; ' ' My dear count, I want that ; ' 
' Come, husband, let us do this ; ' ^ Come, my lord, let us go 
to this place.' Vamos, count, here, there, and everywhere, 
until the poor man was more worn by her fantastic longings 
than he ever had been by any experiences in his life, although 
he persisted in discouraging her outdoor amusements. 

" Inez, meanwhile, feeling the want of something to do, 
employed herself with giving reading-lessons to her page ; 
and this exercise usually took place while the old count took 
his siesta in the middle of the day. At that hour, the huge 
antique chair in which the old lord usually sat was unoccupied ; 
8* 



90 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

and, naturally, the countess filled it, while the page sat upon 
a footstool near by to receive his lessons. The page proved 
an apt scholar, I ween; for, after a time, he watched anx- 
iously for the hour when his beautiful mistress seated herself 
in the great seignorial throne for her task, while the old count 
loudly snored on a neighboring sofa. 

" Damiano de Zuniga, the page, as beseemed a youth of gen- 
tle blood and knightly qualities, was exceedingly devout and 
loyal in the observance of his religious duties ; and, some 
weeks after he had begun to receive lessons from his fair mis- 
tress, he resorted, as was his wont, to the abbey, to confess 
himself to his spiritual adviser. What passed between them 
was under the seal of confession ; but Damiano retired from 
the interview pale and distressed, and immediately sought 
the presence of the count. 

" The old warrior was seated at the entrance of the castle on 
a stone bench, watching his armorer, who furbished the har- 
ness, whose weight the ancient knight could no longer bear, 
but which he insisted upon keeping polished as brightly as a 
mirror. He contemplated these arms with much pleasure, as 
they reminded him of many a stoutly-contested field and gal- 
lant tourney ; their hacks and dints being silent records of his 
doughty feats of arms. 

" Damiano approached, and bent the knee to the count, as 
his suzerain ; at which the old lord was somewhat surprised. 
*My lord the count,' said the page, ^send these people 
awa}' ; for I have something for your private ear much con- 
cerning you and myself.' The servitors, having retired out of 
ear-shot, stood respectfully watching the grim old warrior 
and the youthful page, who stood in a humble attitude before 
him, his fine eyes cast down, his head bared ; and seemed to 
communicate something to the count which moved the very 
depths of the old man's soul, for he suddenly turned pale as 
a ghost. 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 91 

'^Instantly, however, he recovered his self-possession, and 
with it, apparently, all his youthful strength ; for he seized 
from among the arms that lay there a heavy steel mace with 
which he had struck down many a Paynim. 

" He brandished the mighty weapon aloft as if it had been 
a mere straw ; then stayed it for an instant over the head of 
the boy, who retained his attitude of humility, but raised his 
eyes fearlessly to those of his master. His firm bearing 
doubtless saved his life : for, casting liis weapon far from him, 
the old man uttered a passionate exclamation ; and, by his 
gesture, the wondering servitors saw that he commanded the 
page to leave him. This the boy did, withdrawing sorrowfully 
and slowly, retiring down the steep descent leading to Peiia- 
randa. 

" The count proceeded in the contrary direction, taking the 
path to the gardens, in which the countess was then walking. 
The servitors cautiously followed, and overheard the angry old 
man accost her with dreadful imprecations ; telling her the 
truth was known, and she must prepare to die, and that he 
had already killed Damiano. 

" The shock of the announcement threw the fair dame into 
a dead faint. Her women rushed to the rescue, and carried 
her into the castle. 

" The count then raved, and tore his beard, accusing him- 
self of killing his wife by his cruelty, and despatched mes- 
sengers in every direction to seek the page, in order to show 
her he was alive ; but the boy was nowhere to be found. He 
was last seen by a peasant, from whom he borrowed a horse, 
which he mounted and rode off, telling the countryman he 
was going to the land of the infidel to take the cross in pur- 
suance of a vow, to accomplish a penance laid upon him. 

" The countess learning all this, and that her loved Damiano 
had left the country, probably for ever, subsided into a state 
of melancholy, from which it was impossible to rouse her. 



92 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

Her lamentations filled the castle ; and the old count, now 
sensible of his many faults and crimes, tried every means of 
assuaging the grief of his wife in a parental manner. Noth- 
ing he could do, however, would console the countess for the 
loss of the ])etit page d^ amour ; and her radiant charms soon 
paled under the shadow of her grief. 

"In those times, the secrets of the inner life of the nobility 
were seldom known beyond the walls of their castle : so that all 
these circumstances I have related did not come out until long 
after they happened, when the actors in them had all passed 
away. 

"Thus it was that the true history I am recounting to your 
worship was preserved by the gossips, and handed down by 
them to our times, long after the deaths of the fair Inez and 
her child.'' 

" Child ! " said I : " what child ? Was there a child ? " 

Just at this moment the slanting rays of the setting sun 
fell upon walls and towers, and the single-eyed story-teller 
informed me we were about entering Lerma. 

This is a fine old town, situated upon the little River Arlanza, 
in a lovely country, abounding, I was told, in game both finny 
and feathered, but little frequented by travellers. It conferred 
the ducal title upon the celebrated cardinal minister of Philip 
II., and contains a splendid palace built by him. We spent 
one day here, in order to make some repairs in our travelling 
equipments ; and I improved the opportunity to inspect the 
palace and other mementoes under the guidance of an excel- 
lent cicerone provided for me by Blasco. That worthy was 
absorbed in his visits to his old friends during our stay, but 
was punctual in starting on the following morning ; and at 
noon we stopped for lunch at the small hamlet of Madrigal ejo. 
When we were fairly on the road again, Blasco signified that 
he felt like talking, and resumed his story : — 

" Yes, your worship, there was a child. It arrived in the due 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 93 

course of timej much to the delight of the mother; and the 
circumstances of its birth were unknown to all outside the 
castle. The count had provided for that ; for in those times 
inconsiderate scandal might compromise the life of an offender: 
so the old man received all the credit of its paternity. 

" To any one, however, familiar with the fine ingenuous fea- 
tures of the page Damiano, the similarity to those of the 
beautiful and lusty infant was too aj)parent to be denied ; and 
the old cuckold must have felt very strangely at the likeness. 

" So the news went through all the country-side that the 
Count of Miranda had still vigor enough to leave a son and 
heir to the name, titles, and estates of the Zuiiigas. 

" liiez conducted herself with the strictest propriety. Not a 
word was breathed abroad to her discredit ; and all her time 
was occupied with the care of her child. The poor, decrepit 
old count seeing the boy daily and hourly, and witnessing the 
love of the mother and the gambols of the innocent little 
being, from sheer force of habit ended by loving him also, 
and would have resented any wrong done to him as earnestly 
as if he had been his own child. 

"Inez, considering herself now more than ever bound to 
Damiano, continued to humor the old man ; and, after the 
custom of those ladies who hoodwink their lords, rendered him 
so contented, that he lived altogether in the bosom of his 
family. One day, however, he was sitting in his great chair, 
his wife and the child playing together near him, when he sud- 
denly fell back, exclaiming, ^ Ah ! Inez, my love, my Inesilla ! 
it grows dark ! I can't see thee ! ' and, saying it was night 
very early, he slept the sleep of the just. 

" The great and powerful lord was gathered to his fathers ; 
and Inez mourned for him as for a parent, fell into melan- 
choly, and would not listen to a proposition of a second mar- 
riage, although her friends strongly urged it. She was in the 
prime of her youth, and an excellent ^a^r^^ ; but she devoted 



94 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

herself to her child in her widowhood. This seclusion and 
celibacy greatly astonished people ; for it was not known that 
she had a heart-spouse, and that she was a widow in senti- 
ment as in fact : for she had heard nothing from Damiano 
since he had taken the cross, except a vague rumor that he 
had been killed, which caused her many sleepless nights. 
The countess thus lived for fourteen years in the memories 
of a few weeks of love and happiness, and her son had attained 
the age of some months less, when she received one day a 
small party of visitors come to the castle to pass the day. 
Seated in the old count's great chair, her favorite seat, she 
was conversing with her guests, when the young count, her 
son, came running into the hall, blooming as a rose. He was 
more like the page than ever, resembling his putative father in 
nothing except the name he bore. He threw himself on his 
mother's neck, exclaiming, ^0 dear mother, here are stran- 
gers ! I have just seen a pilgrim in the court-yard who 
kindly embraced me.' — ' Ha ! ' said the countess, turning to 
the boy's attendant, 'have I not forbidden you to allow my 
son to speak to strangers ? Go ! I discharge you from my ser- 
vice ! ' — ' Alas, sweet lady ! ' said the servant, ' the holy pil- 
grim wished the dear young count no harm ; for he kissed him, 
weeping bitterly all the while.' — ' He wept,' said she : ' ah, 
it is his father!' And, with these words, she leaned back 
her head in the great chair fraught with so many memories, 
and the color deserted her cheeks. 

"The guests all pressed about her, thinking she had fainted, 
and applied all the usual restoratives ; but the heart of the 
poor lady had ceased to beat forever. No one could ever learn 
whether her death was caused by sudden joy at the unex- 
pected return of her lover, or by fear that he had a second 
time left her. 

"At the funeral ceremonies of the Countess Inez, which were 
marked with all the pomp observed when a member of the 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 95 

house of Zuniga is taken away, a pilgrim was present, who, 
though still young in years, bore the traces of much hardship 
and sorrow, and who, when the fair body of Inez was entombed, 
suddenly left the place. This was Don Damiano de Zuniga, 
who, driven to despair by the death of his sweet mistress, 
completely lost heart, and, seeking for his woes the consolations 
of religion, became a monk in the Monastery of Santo Domingo 
de Silos." 

As my friend Manuel Blasco ended his story, the twilight 
deepened ; for the close of the autumnal day and the end of our 
long ride approached together : but I had no time for musing 
on the loves of the fair Inez and the gallant young page, as 
we saw before us the lights of a large town, and soon, clatter- 
ing over an ancient bridge, entered the famous old city of 
Burgos. 



XIV. 

BUEGOS, like Venice or Prague, still seems in the condi- 
tion of centuries ago ; and we feel in her streets that we 
should not be surprised at meeting her citizens walking abroad 
in jerkin and trunk-hose, or a procession of mail-clad knights 
on horseback. It was the cradle of the Castilian monarchy. 
It rose : but its decay followed soon after its efflorescence ; for, 
the Castilian kings having removed their court from it in the 
fourteenth century, its prosperity was destroyed ; it gradually 
declined, and the French invasion by Napoleon completed its 
dilapidation. 

The venerable old town has a noble seat, rising grandly on 
the banks of the Arlanza, with its dominating castle, and the 
graceful spires of its unrivalled cathedral proudly announcing 
the city to the approaching traveller. This wonderful temple is 
well known to all admirers of mediseval architecture as among 
the finest specimens of florid Gothic in the world. It is, indeed, 
a " poem in stone ; " and its western fa9ade is probably the 
finest of its kind in Europe. It would require a volume to 
record all the wonders of this noble fane. The three aisles, 
the octagonal dome rising two hundred feet from the pave- 
ment, enriched with carvings called the work of the angels, 
the sculpture and paintings, the carvings of the choir and 
stalls, and the magnificent high altar, fill one with delight 
and religious fervor. Although its adornments are profusC; 
there is nothinsj meretricious or overloaded in their general 
effect. 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 97 

Besides the cathedral, there is the castle, beautiful in its 
decay, and rich in historic reminiscences, several palaces of the 
ancient aristocracy, and a fine promenade on the banks of the 
river. In the neighborhood is the Convent of Santa Maria la 
Real, called " Las Huelgas " (" The Delights "), with its chapel, 
in which were once crowned the Spanish kings ; and the tomb 
of the Cid. 

Being so near, I felt that I must pay the homage of a visit 
to the last resting-place of this famous warrior ; and accord- 
ingly set forth, accompanied by a friend whose acquaintance 
I had made in Burgos, and who, besides being an intelligent 
and learned cicerone, was an enthusiastic admirer of the 
great Spanish hero. We first directed our course to the Car- 
thusian Convent of Miraflores, where there is a rojj-al mauso- 
leum erected by the magnificent Isabel with filial pietj'' to the 
memory of her parents. The eye can hardly take in all its won- 
drous glories. It is sculptured all over with costumed figures, 
animals, birds, and foliage, cherubs, apostles, saints, and angels, 
delicately carved in Oriental alabaster, and illuminated by 
painted glass of gorgeous tints. As said my good friend, 
" Faltan ojos para mirarlos " (" One wants eyes to see them 

all'O. 

Continuing our route to San Pedro de Cardeiia, we alighted 
in front of the noble gateway, above which the Cid, mounted 
on Bavieca, rides down the hostile Moors. No one was ever 
allowed to mount the noble steed after the death of her mas- 
ter; and here she lies buried. The tomb of the Cid bears 
the following epitaph, composed, it is said, by Alonso the Wise, 
who also caused the tomb to be built : — 

"belliger invictis pamosus marte triumphis 
clauditur hoc tumulo magnus didachi rodericus." 

Here are also the tombs of his wife Ximena, and their two 



98 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

daughters, Maria Sol and Elvira, queens of Aragon and Na- 
varre. His only son was killed at the battle of Consuegra, 
with others of his faithful followers, including Alvar Faiiez 
Minaya, his cousin, whom the Cid was wont to call his right 
arm. 

Having passed several most agreeable days in Burgos and 
its vicinity, our little party set forth, intending to make our 
next halt at Logrono ; sleeping one night on the road at a 
hospitable estate of another friend of Blasco, — a retired 
aficionado, who, having given us an excellent breakfast, 
after many affectionate accolades to my squire, sent us on 
our way with vayan icstedes con Dios. We saw a cloud of 
dust ahead ; and found that it proceeded from a column of 
troops, of which we soon overtook the rear-guard. They were 
Carlist infantry. We were not permitted to precede this 
guard, the officer in command saying he was compelled by his 
orders to prevent any one from doing so ; and were forced to 
linger along in their rear among the usual camp-followers, 
almost stifled by the dust. Blasco was instantly engaged in 
animated conversation with our new acquaintances, with whose 
party, as I have already said, he was in active sympathy. For 
my part, seeing a lady in the crowd riding a fine horse, and 
attended by a couple of servants, I entered into conversation 
with her. She proved to be the wife of the lieutenant-colonel 
commanding a Basque regiment, the second in command of 
the force before us ; and she informed me that she always 
accompanied her husband on the march, and even under fire. 
As she was extremely affable, like all her countrywomen, I 
was soon on excellent terms with Dona Florencia Soler; and 
we exchanged information about acquaintances in Madrid. 

About noon the column halted, and the lady improved the 
opportunity to introduce me to her husband. From him and 
olliers we then ascertained that the Carlist force of about nine 
hundred was commanded by colonel, the Count of Leso ; and 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 99 

I learned also that its destination was Logrono, which town 
they expected to surprise and capture with some persons of 
importance. They had made a forced march from Bilbao for 
that purpose. The Carlist troops, whom I now saw for the 
first time, appeared to be young, sturdy, active fellows, appar- 
ently possessing more of the true military spirit than the 
queen's soldiers. They were in the usual dress of the Basque 
peasants, and wore the national red beret. The Count de Leso 
was very polite to me, regretting that my journey should have 
been delayed, but telling me, that, so soon as Logroiio was in 
sight, we would be at liberty to go wherever we pleased. In 
less than twenty minutes the little Biscayans were again on 
the road, tripping gayly along with the elastic step of the 
mountaineer, so different from the lounging gait of the Chris- 
tinos. The lengthening shadows soon fell upon the walls 
of Logrono, and the column halted : the line of battle was 
promptly formed, the skirmishers trotted briskly to the front, 
and the whole force advanced at the double-quick to the attack, 
under cover of their rifles, shouting gayly ; while their bugles 
sounded the charge. A grand guard stationed in the suburbs 
was driven in, and we could see the Carlists hotly engaged 
with the enemy ; then lost sight of them as they entered the 
town, as it appeared to us, pell-mell with the Christinos. Blas- 
co, Pedro, and myself witnessed the combat from a slight ele- 
vation ; and my squire soon told me that the sharp rattle of 
musketry, now incessantly heard, came from the direction of 
the plaza, the possession of which seemed to be hotly con- 
^tested. Doiia Florencia had left us ; and the one-eyed man 
said she had joined her husband in the fight. The fire at 
length became scattering, and receded beyond the town ; and 
Blasco said we might enter it. We did so, passing in the 
streets some corpses and wounded men, but none of the in- 
habitants : all were, I was told, shut up in their houses. We 
proceeded immediately to the plaza, where we found the Car- 



100 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

list colonel and his staff surrounded by a number of citizens, 
some of wbom were municipal officers ; and with these he was 
alternately threatening, expostulating, and promising, with 
some volubility, after his victory. 

The fight had evidently been a stubborn one at this point ; 
and women (among whom I saw the religious habit) were be- 
wailing the loss of some friend, or assisting wounded persons 
to a place of security and rest. After mildly congratulating 
the Carlist colonel, I retired to the inn on the plaza ; while 
Pedro took our animals to the stable in the rear, and Blasco 
was going and coming with news in the evening in a great 
state of excitement. 

He informed me that several persons, whose names I had 
never before heard, but whom he appeared to think of conse- 
quence, had been taken prisoners ; that the Carlist chief had 
ordered the alcalde to provide wine and provisions for his 
soldiers, and had laid a contribution upon the town, to be 
forthcoming at an early hour the next morning ; and that 
Dona Florencia was with her husband, who had command of 
the guard posted at the bridge which crosses the Ebro on the 
farther side of the town, and by which the discomfited Chris- 
tines had retreated. 

Wearied by the excitement of the day, I lay down on the bed 
without quitting any but my upper garments, and was soon fast 
asleep ; for silence prevailed in the town, and only the occa- 
sional barking of a dog, or the alerto of some vigilant sentinel, 
was distinctly heard through my open window, which looked 
directly into the plaza. I must have slept soundly ; for I was 
awakened by a terrible noise of shouting and swearing in tlie 
plaza, mingled with military commands and the sound of fire- 
arms. I rose, and for a moment stood gazing at the indistinct 
masses of men below, and the usual tumult of a heady fight. 
A taper was burning in my apartment; and I was admonished 
by several bullets singing through the window to extinguish 



KEEL AND SADDLE, 101 

it ; which I did, retiring to a safer position ; but not before I 
saw that the red berets were getting the worst of it, — proba- 
bly overpowered by superior numbers. 

The dawn soon appeared, and with it my mozo^ Pedro, who 
came to seek protection from both parties ; and, my valise being 
at hand, I put on my uniform, and awaited the issue of events. 

The noise of the battle now receded westward in the direc- 
tion by which we had come to Logroiio ; and the plaza was 
deserted, save by the fresh crop of dead and wounded that had 
been harvested since the evening before. Looking forth, we 
saw a mounted party enter it, at the head of which rode one 
whose appearance and bearing proclaimed him a leader of 
men. He was (the innkeeper, who had ascended to my room, 
informed me) the renowned guerillero, Martin Zurbano. 

Soon a sergeant of cavalry came to the inn, stationed sen- 
tries at the door, and summoned all its inmates to the presence 
of his chief; and we all issued into the plaza, following him as 
directed. 

The guerilla leader took my passport; upon reading which 
— that is, if he could have done so upside-down — he cour- 
teously addressed me, and said, that, as a foreign officer, I was 
exempt from further interference ; then, turning to the inn- 
keeper, he roundly abused him, and afterwards minutely ques- 
tioned him as to the occurrences of the previous evening. 

Returning to the inn, I went up to my room, accompanied 
by Pedro, to view what was going on in the plaza. Blasco 
had not made his appearance ; and I began to fear that he had 
gone off with the Carlists. While speculating as to what I 
should do in case the one-eyed man did not soon appear, I was 
attracted by an unusual stir in the square below, and saw, 
with horror, my acquaintances of the day before, — Lieut-Col. 
Rafael Soler, and his wife Doiia Florencia, dragged out by sol- 
diers, and placed before the horse of the truculent chief by 
whom I had just been examined. 
9* 



102 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

The sight of my agreeable and gentle companion of yester- 
day's ride confronted with one whom common report declared 
to be as savage and remorseless as the Pyrenean wolf struck 
a chill to my heart ; but it was speedily followed by a desire 
to save her from the fearful fate that no doubt awaited her. 
I knew how cruel and vindictive were the combatants on both 
sides in this terrible civil war, in which each party massacred 
prisoners, and seldom granted quarter. I hastily descended to 
the door, and attempted to open it: but the clatter of the 
muskets of the two sentinels, and their crossed bayonets, ad- 
monished me that I was a prisoner within the posada ; and 
I could only return to my post of observation. 

I now saw that the poor colonel was wounded, a bloody ban- 
dage encircling his head ; and was told he had also a bullet- 
wound in the chest, — probably a mortal one : and I do not 
believe that his devoted wife wished to survive him. There 
they were, confronted by and hopelessly in the power of the 
fierce guerilla, who regarded them with a look in which I 
could discern no gleam of mercy; while the unhappy pair 
returned his gaze with a proud look of courage as undaunted 
as his own. 

After a short colloquy, consisting of abuse from Zurbano, 
and defiance from the officer, — the wife seeming perfectly 
calm and resigned, — the guerilla impatiently waved his hand, 
and I caught the words, " Cuatro tiros pasalos, por las armas 1 " 
(" Take two files, and shoot them ! ") The pair were dragged 
away. I could look no longer, and withdrew ; but in less than 
two minutes the quick, short commands to a squad, the answer- 
ing clank of muskets, and the sharp report of half a dozen 
pieces, told me that another cruel and bloody scene had been 
enacted in the sad drama then in progress in distracted Spain. 

In the Peninsula, war assumes a personal character, and 
becomes the expression of petty hates and revenges rather 
than a general contest for great principles. Life is little val- 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 103 

ued : the prevailing indifierence to it, or fatalism, the Span- 
iard seems to hold in common with the Moslem. All know that 
they owe a death to Nature, and believe that no forethought 
or precaution can retard or prevent it when the fatal hour 
arrives. Life is daily staked, and all parties conclude to stand 
the hazard of the die ; those who win exacting the whole pound 
of flesh, and those who lose paying the forfeit as a matter of 
course. To beg for or to grant a pardon would be alike de- 
grading, as strength is estimated by the blows struck, and 
not by those withheld. And thus it is in all civil wars, which 
are notoriously more rancorous and vindictive than hostilities 
between rival nations. 

Martin Zurbano was a native of the neighborhood of Lo- 
grono. He early espoused the queen's cause, and fought 
bravely in the war. His forces occupied that town when 
attacked by the Carlists, and retreated at first ; but, with his 
accustomed tenacity and energy, he returned with re-enforce- 
ments during the night, and retook the place. He was a fair 
type of the Spanish guerilla. He committed many horrible 
crimes in the progress of the war and afterwards, the story of 
which has been told by French and English writers. After 
years of guerilla warfare, he received the reward of his crimes, 
by a providential retribution, ou the very spot where the Car- 
list colonel and his wife were executed, — the plaza of Lo- 
grofio, — in which place his brother and his two sons had been 
already shot. 

The next morning I had the melancholy satisfaction of 
assisting at the burial, in consecrated ground, of the ill-fated 
Solers ; and made arrangements with the cura for prayers for 
their repose. Every thing had become quiet in the town, 
Zurbano having gone in pursuit of the retreating Carlists; 
and Blasco mysteriously re-appeared at the posada, telling me 
that he was well known to the Christino chief, and that he had 
kept himself secluded in fear of being recognized. He ad- 



104 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

jured me by all I held sacred to leave Logrono immediately ; 
for, should Zurbano return and find him (Blasco), the guerilla 
would not fail to visit him with his vengeance, "in spite of 
the fact," said he, "that your worship is the ambassador to the 
King of France, and I your major-domo, and, as such, justly 
partaking of the sanctity of the diplomatic character." 

I gladly assented to his prayer; for I longed to leave a 
place in which I had seen nothing but deeds of blood, and 
to get upon the road, hoping that, when again in the saddle, 
exercise and variety would dispel the gloomy memories of 
Logrono. Our beasts were quite rested, and had been well fed 
and groomed, thanks to Pedro : so we started at a gallop 
from the door of the inn, and were soon in the open country. 
Guided by Blasco, we took roads leading to the mountains, 
stopping only at insignificant hamlets ; and, without meeting 
any more of the bands of the two contending parties, we 
arrived in due time at Pamplona. 

I remained for a few days in the country of the Pyrenees ; 
visited the pass of Roncesvalles, the breach of E-olando, and 
other places of interest ; then, crossing the frontier, I went 
through Bayonne to Paris, taking Blasco with me, Pedro hav- 
ing been sent to the care of a friend of Blasco at Moncada, in 
Catalonia, with our beasts, there to await our return to Spain. 

During our stay in Paris, nothing worthy of record took 
place. I may mention, however, that my Spanish guide, 
Manuel Blasco, found but little to admire in Prance, — not 
even the ladies : the practice of the nil admirari philosophy 
somewhat surprised me in so devoted a squire of dames. 

He was always busy, however ; but, our pursuits not being 
always congenial, I saw but little of him, until one day he 
came to tell me that he was about to " assist " at a grand ex- 
hibition given by the officers of the garrison of Paris, and at 
which all the best swordsmen, professors, and amateurs were 
expected. I attended on the evening appointed, and was much 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 105 

pleased with the skill in all sorts of what the Erench call 
armes blanches. Towards the close of the seaiice Blasco ap- 
peared, dressed in a magnificent Andalusian or majo costume, 
all silk and embroidery, that he had obtained from the Span- 
ish embassy, and in which I could hardly recognize my quon- 
dam guide. He gave a fine display of skill with his national 
weapon, the sword, successfully encountering some first-rate 
swordsmen; also defending himself against the lance and the 
bayonet, and against great odds ; finishing by dividing in twain 
the carcass of a sheep at one blow of his toledana. He was 
decidedly the hero of the exhibition. 

Of all the distinguished persons I saw at this visit in the 
capital of France, I have preserved to this time the most agree- 
able remembrance of one who considered himself the most 
humble among them, — the poet Beranger, the Robert Burns 
of France. 

By appointment, I proceeded at ten, a.m., to the small two- 
story house, No. 21 E.ue Vineuse, Passy ; and was ushered up 
stairs to a landing on the second story, where the maid opened 
a door, and I found myself in the presence of the author of the 
"E-edingote Grise," "Le Violon Brise," '^Le Yieux Sergent," 
"Les Etoiles qui filent," &c. A little man, not more than 
five feet five inches in height, but solidly built, with an intel- 
lectual head, and silky white hair, arose from an easy-chair, — 
the only one in the room, — and forced me to take it. He had 
handsome features, clear black eyes, and an expression of 
open-hearted benevolence. He wore a rather shabby dressing- 
gown, and on his head a little calotte. I felt at once relieved 
from all constraint in his presence. Nothing could be more 
humble than his surroundings. The little room was darkened, 
which led me to suppose that his eyes were weak ; but it was 
quite airy. A small bed, with plain check curtains, occupied 
one end of it; a writing-table with a portable desk, a few 
books, and only two chairs, — voila tout ! 



106 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

No pomp of literary display was needed to give interest to 
the first song-writer of France or his humble dwelling. 

" They will tell of all his glory round the hearth for many a day." 

Unversed as I was in literature, I dashed at once upon 
something I was familiar with, and mentioned Walter Scott. 
Beranger, I found, did not esteem the " Wizard of the North " 
a great or a correct writer. He said he had detected many 
blunders in his works, especially in " Quentin Durward,'' in 
which the life and character of Louis XI. had been misrepre- 
sented. He admitted, however, that his works contained many 
grand pictures of splendid and interesting groups ; remarking, 
that, in the novels, the interest of the reader attaches itself 
naturally to some other individual rather than to the hero or 
heroine. He instanced "Ivanhoe," in which Rebecca is the 
centre of interest. This he considered a defect. With Scott's 
poetry he said he was not familiar, as he did not understand 
the English tongue. 

After a conversation of half an hour, I rose to take leave ; 
and the poet accompanied me to the stairway, and kindly 
shook hands at parting. 

Beranger was at that time really a power in France. His 
chansons had an immense circulation, and doubtless had a 
mighty influence in bringing about the revolution of 1830. 
The cha7isonnier did not view the government of Louis 
Philippe with approbation, and refused every thing like favor 
at its hands ; which conduct increased his popularity with the 
masses. His retirement and preference of the peaceful enjoy- 
ment of his chimney-corner (coin de feu) did not proceed 
from a cynical or misanthropic affectation, but was from the 
genuine desire for repose after a busy and lately not unre- 
warded life. 

At the funeral of Lafitte the banker, . which was attended 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 107 

by the king and the princes, the royal coaches passed un- 
noticed : but, when Beranger's carriage appeared, it was wel- 
comed with a burst of acclamation, and hundreds strove for 
the honor of drawing him in triumph ; but he, with difficulty, 
persuaded them to desist. 

The service upon which I had been sent having been per- 
formed, we returned to Spain by the way of Perpinan, joined 
Pedro and our animals at Moncada, and continued our journey 
to Madrid by way of Valencia, Murcia, and Granada. 

In the latter city I had an opportunity of seeing the famous 
torero Pepe (Joseph) Montes, the preux chevalier of the 
arena. This worthy was performing, or, as we should say, 
"starring," in the provinces; and Blasco informed me we 
might perhaps never again see such sport as would now be 
afforded us in the plaza de toros of Granada. Conducted by 
my squire, I entered the sombra, or shaded seats, in which 
were gathered representatives of the aristocracy, including the 
officials, two-thirds of those present being beautiful ladies; 
while below us raged, roared, and gesticulated the " great 
unwashed" of Granada. 

Montes, adoptive father, it was afterwards said, of the no 
less celebrated Lola, was a man of wealth, and then about 
forty years of age, a little above the ordinary height, of grave 
aspect and demeanor, lithe as a serpent in his movements, 
and of a pale olive complexion. He was a native of Chicland, 
a suburb of Cadiz. His eyes had the look of alertness I have 
seen in men, who, like him, often owe their lives to their 
instant perception of danger. ITo doubt the immense success 
of this Andalusian hero, the Bayard of his heroic profession, 
was due rather to his coolness and consummate knowledge of 
his art than to muscular strength. Blasco told me, that, as 
soon as Montes saw a bull, he could form an accurate judgment 
of the animal's character, — whether its attack would be 
straightforward or strategetic, whether its sight was good or bad, 



108 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

and whetlier it would be cautious or impetuous in its charge. 
Thanks to this sort of intuitive perception, he was always 
ready to meet the beast with an appropriate defence. Never- 
theless, as he often pushed his temerity to foolhardiness in a 
spirit of bravado, he has had countless hair-breadth escapes in 
the arena, and bore many scars of his victorious conflicts, hav- 
ing on several occasions been carried grievously wounded from 
the ring. 

On the first day I saw him his costume was magnificent, — 
silk and velvet, embroidered richly with gold in the most 
elaborate style of the majo dress of Andalusian dandies. 
Unlike most matadores, Pepe Montes did not content himself 
with simply killing the bull when the signal was given by the 
presiding officer. He superintended and directed the combat, 
going to the assistance of those toreros who were in danger, 
many of whom owed him their lives. Consequently, his 
cuadrilla were devoted to him, knowing he would never desert 
them ; and he has often extricated picador es and handerilleros 
from the horns of the savage bull. He has been known to 
colear, or seize by the tail, an enraged bull, which, having 
disembowelled the horse, was seeking the death of the rider, 
sheltered by the body of the prostrate animal ; and, while he 
turned swiftly the enraged beast three or four times, the man 
had time to escape amid the frantic applause of the spectators. 
I saw him once plant himself firmly in front of an enraged 
bull, and fix his eyes upon him, standing with crossed arms, 
while the animal stopped suddenly in his charge, and seemed 
subjugated by that keen and unshrinking gaze. Then came 
a torrent of wild applause, shouts, vociferations, screams of 
delight, from the fifteen thousand spectators, who stamped 
and danced upon their benches in wild excitement. All the 
ladies waved their kerchiefs, and every hat was thrown 
aloft; while Montes, the only cool, collected person in the 
vast multitude, enjoyed his triumph silently, slightly bowing 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 109 

with the air of a man who felt himself capable of much 
greater things. 

ye silvery-toned singers, ye fairy-footed dancers, all ye 
who flatter yourselves that you have excited popular enthusi- 
asm ! you have never heard Moiites applauded by a crowded 
circus. Sometimes he would be encored ; and a pretty girl 
near me called out to him, " Vamos, Senor Montes ! vamos, 
Pepito ! — you, who are so gallant, do something for the sake of 
a lady, — una cosita^^ (a small matter). Then Montes leaped 
lightly over the head of the bull : turning quickly, he shook 
his red cloak in the animal's face, and, by a rapid movement, 
enveloped himself in it with folds of most graceful drapery. 
Thus he invited the charge, which he avoided by stepping 
nimbly aside. 

On the second day of the bull-fight at Granada, Montes 
received, in spite of his popularity, a rather rough proof of the 
impartiality of a Spanish public, and of the extent to which 
it pushes its love of fair play towards beasts as well as men. 

A magnificent black bull of the Sierra Morena, whose graz- 
ing ground was in sight from the arena, was turned into the 
plaza de toros, entering with a dashing, defiant mien. There 
was a murmur of admiration among the connoisseurs. Here 
were all the points to be desired in a fighting bull : his horns 
were long, thin, and sharp ; his legs small and nervous. His 
broad chest, heavy dewlap, and mighty shoulder, united to a 
symmetrical form, indicated vast strength. His fixed, star- 
ing eyes and gallant bearing gave promise of unyielding 
courage. 

He rushed upon the picador nearest him ; and over went 
horse and man, — the former dead ere he measured his length 
in the arena : then fell another horse ; and the men had just 
time to save themselves by leaping over the barrier. In a 
quarter of an hour this bull killed seven horses. The chulos 
were frightened, and kept near the barricades, shaking their 

10 



110 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

muletas at a respectful distance, jumping over the barricades 
when he approached them. Montes himself appeared discon- 
certed, and once placed his foot upon the ledge as if to follow 
them. The spectators shouted with delight, and paid the hull 
the most flattering compliments. Presently a new exploit of 
master toro elevated their enthusiasm to the highest pitch. 

Another venturous picador cantered towards the bull, and, 
lowering his lance, pricked him in the shoulder. The latter 
bowed his stately head, thrust it under the horse, and with a 
mighty effort lifted both horse and rider, and placed his fore- 
feet on the ledge ; then by a second lift he threw both horse and 
man clear over the barrier into the corridor surrounding the 
arena. This unheard-of feat drew down thunderous bravos. 

The bull was now master of the field of battle, and paraded 
the arena in triumph, amusing himself with tossing the dead 
horses. The stable was empty : there were no more horses. 
The chulos and handerilleros sat upon the barriers, not 
daring to approach the bull, and harassed him with their 
barbed darts. Impatient at the inaction, the people shouted, 
" Las banderillas, las banderillas ! — Fuego al alcalde ! " de- 
nouncing the alcalde because he did not order them to attack 
the conqueror. At last a handerillero advanced, and planted his 
little barbed weapon in the neck of the bull, and ran away quick- 
ly, pursued by the animal. In leaping the barricade his arm 
was grazed, and the sleeve of his gay jacket torn by the horn 
of the bull. The spectators again applauded " Viva, viva, bravo 
toro ! " but, in spite of the applause, the alcalde gave the signal 
to despatch the bull. 

Blasco informed me this was against the laws of tauroma- 
chy, which require that the bull shall receive four pairs of 
banderillas before he is left to the sword of the matador. 

Montes now came forward amid the hooting of the vast 
assembly, who were not well pleased that so valorous an ani- 
mal should be despatched without further baiting. 



KEEL AND SADDLE. HI 

Instead of advancing, as was his wont, into the middle of 
the arena, the matador placed himself within twenty paces 
of the barrier, in order to be near a refuge in case of accident. 
He was pale, and did not indulge in the little coquetries of 
courage, or dalliance with danger, which have procured him 
the admiration of Spain as a finished knight of the bull-ring. 
Taking his stand firmly, he slowly unfolded the scarlet muleta^ 
and levelled his Toledan blade, shaking the former at the en- 
raged beast. The great black bull, in his turn, lowered his 
mighty horns, and rushed upon the man. For a brief instant 
the dust obscured the pair : then the bull was seen prostrate 
at the feet of the man, dead, as if struck by a thunderbolt. 
Montes stood proudly erect over his foe, holding his sword, its 
glittering sheen now dimmed with blood. 

The keen weapon, directed by the firm hand and wrist of 
iron, and guided by the unerring eye of the matador^ had en- 
tered the forehead and pierced the brain, — a thrust forbidden 
by tauromachian rules. The matador should pass his arm 
between the horns of the beast, and stab him in the nape of 
the neck, severing the nerves concentrated in the medulla ob- 
longata. It is the most dangerous thrust for the man, but 
gives the bull a chance for his life. 

Blasco instantly detected the foul stroke ; and, while he was 
explaining it to me, a storm of indignation arose from the 
multitude, who had also discovered it. A hurricane of abuse 
and hisses was poured out upon the matador. Butcher, thief, 
brigand, assassin, executioner, were the mildest of the compli- 
mentary epithets hurled at him. " To the galleys with Mon- 
tes ! " " To the fire with Montes ! " " To the dogs with him ! " 
were some of the amiable ejaculations of the assembly. Not 
content with mere words of vituperation, some excited persons 
threw into the ring fans, hats, sticks, water-jars, and every 
other available missile. 

Montes bit his lips with rage until they bled j and his pale 



112 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

visage was fairly green with fury. He affected, however, to be 
unmoved, and leaned gracefully upon the sword, which he had 
cleansed from blood with the sand of the arena. 

Such is popularity. The day before no one would have 
thought it possible that Montes, the Bayard of the ring, the 
consummate torero^ would have been thus severely punished 
for the infraction of a rule rendered doubly necessary by the 
agility, vigor, and extraordinary fury of the animal with which 
he had to contend. Another bull was killed after this one, but 
was despatched by another matador, almost unnoticed, amid 
the continued indignation of the spectators. 

The fight over, I wished to be introduced to the famous 
torero ; and Blasco, who knew him well, went with me to the 
Ponda for the purpose ; but Montes had left. Angry and half 
ashamed, he had hastily got into a calesin with his cuadrilla, 
and left the city, shaking the dust from his feet, and swearing 
that he never would again return to Granada. 

From Madrid I returned to Gibraltar, having accomplished 
the mission I was ordered to perform, and rejoined my ship. 



XV. 

DURING my tour in the Iberian Peninsula, I was pro- 
foundly impressed by its loveliness and romantic char- 
acter, even while conscious of its abasement and degeneration ; 
and I have, both before and since that time, witnessed the prog- 
ress of a similar state of things in the colonies of which Spain 
and Portugal are the mothers and progenitors. As I have 
seen with my own eyes how the policy of both her and their 
rulers has checked all progress, and engendered the same fatal 
decay in parent and offspring, I may be excused for saying a 
few words on that subject. 

The causes of the ruin of Spain are, indeed, countless : and 
its history will always be one of the most instructive ; for in it 
may be found every principle of policy and every form of ad- 
ministration by which a country should not be governed. 

Throughout the country, and particularly in Estremadura 
there are dreary wastes, cut up by barrancas, called despoh- 
lados (unpeopled districts) ; and these are the fruits of the 
exterminating policy pursued by the rulers who succeeded 
Charles V. When we reflect that their desolation is the con- 
sequence, not of invasion or conquest, but of monstrous mis- 
government, and contempt for all sound principles of human 
policy, we are filled with wonder and commiseration. 

History tell us, that, from ten millions in the time of Philip 
II., the population of Spain decreased to about six millions 
in that of Charles II., with a continuing depletive flow ; and 
10* 113 



114 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

that the Cortes told the latter monarch in an address, that the 
nation could not prolong its existence for another half-century 
unless the progress of the evils that afflicted it was arrested. 

Spain had already lost three millions of her most industrious 
inhabitants in previous reigns by the expulsion of the Moors, 
which was characterized by Richelieu as the most stupendous 
blunder ever achieved by any government, which transformed 
an earthly paradise into a sterile desert. 

Then came the emigration to America, whicb carried off 
several millions more to gather the riches of Mexico and Peru. 

All these drains upon the population caused a general neg- 
lect of agriculture and the mechanic arts, and, ultimately, 
beggary and famine. The writers of those times relate the 
most painful stories of the sufferings and death from hunger 
of even the highest and richest people, the royal table being 
scantily supplied, and the Court often going hungry. The 
army and navy were in a deplorable condition. Their offi- 
cers were frequently seen begging in the streets with that air 
of proud dignity characteristic of and inseparable from the 
Spaniard. The nation that sent forth the Armada for the con- 
quest of England now owned but a score of paltry, rotting 
hulks at Cadiz and Carthagena. Philip IV. could raise only 
about fifteen thousand troops for the invasion of Portugal ; and 
consequently that country was lost to the Spanish crown. 

We cease to wonder at the decadence of this great and 
haughty people, who once rivalled imperial E-ome, when we 
examine some of the processes of which it was the result. 
One of these was the barbarous expedient of the Duke of 
Lerma, of debasing the coinage, under Philip III. Silver and 
gold coin vanished : prices rose, and large sums were paid in the 
debased coin, which was made a legal tender by royal edict ; 
and the barter, the badge of barbarism, re-appeared. Not 
a third of the king's revenues ever came into his coffers, owing 
to the corrupt system of farming them to dishonest officials. 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 115 

The imprudent sovereigns we have referred to, aided by 
the prejudices of their proud and insolent subjects, — still to 
be seen in the JEspanolismo of the present day, — completely 
extinguished the commerce, agriculture, and industry of the 
country. The tourist in Spain sees hardly a tree ; and, asking 
for the reason, is told that Spaniards hate trees. But this is 
not the true reason for the arboreal destitution. This is a 
consequence of legislation, — the enactment of laws against 
the enclosure of fields. These laws, known as the laws of the 
mestay protected the grazing interests at the expense of all 
others ; and were enacted by the influence of the nobility and 
the great landed proprietors in order to make the kingdom an 
immense grazing-ground for their numerous herds of merino 
sheep and horned cattle, under the pretext that these animals 
constituted the real wealth of the country. This policy, so 
ruinous to small land-holders and tenants, was persisted in to 
the last, and exists even now in some parts of the New World. 
But, not satisfied with these restrictions upon agriculture, 
Philip II. passed a law that punished with fourteen years' 
exile the farmer who made bread of wheat of his own raising, 
or who sold it in the market. 

Operating in harmony with these incredibly foolish laws, the 
mayorazgos (entails), and the statutes of mortmain, aided in 
the almost total extinction of agriculture. The natural result 
was, that Spain was supplied with grain from other countries ; 
and, having no manufactures to exchange for breadstuffs, was 
annually drained of specie to the amount of more than thirty 
million of dollars. 

Industrial pursuits fared as badly as agriculture. Every 
Spaniard wished to be noble ; and their monarchs, fearing the 
rebellious spirits of mechanics, invented the Alcabala ; which 
was a tax laid upon every article manufactured and sold, and 
which bore so heavily on some handicraftsmen, that it was 
cheaper for them to remain idle than to work. The natural 



116 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

consequence was, that industry of all kinds perished in the 
country ; almost the only manufacture left being that of Toledo 
swords, which escaped destruction owing to a prejudice in favor 
of its supposed noblity. Even the manufacture of the famous 
Segovian cloths, and Cordovan and Galician leather, ceased 
entirely, and it became disreputable to engage in it ; while the 
laboring-classes were regarded as pariahs, and stigmatized as 
pecker OS. Moreover, to induce the Spaniards to become en- 
nobled, the nobility were exempted from taxation ; and this 
privilege augmented their haughtiness, and intensified their 
contempt for all business. It was considered beneath the 
dignity of a Spaniard to bargain, or to receive back change for 
gold in the purchase of the merest trifle ; while interest for 
money loaned was accounted Judaism and the sum of all 
baseness. 

Such ideas prevailing among the Spaniards, all lucrative oc- 
cupations naturally fell into the hands of Jews and foreigners, 
who flocked into the Peninsula from every part of Europe to 
work for the Spaniards, who would not work for themselves. 
These remained long enough only to accumulate a competency, 
with which they hurried home, where they were not subjected 
to the universal contempt with which all Spaniards regarded 
them. All the wealth of the New World, millions upon mil- 
lions, thus passed through the country, scarcely a dollar 
remaining in it ; and year by year the Spaniards grew poorer 
and poorer. The proceeds of the grinding taxation of their 
European provinces, — Naples, Sicily, and Lombardy, — with 
the bullion from both the Indies, rolled into Spain in a golden 
current, which traversed without enriching it ; and, like a worn- 
out profligate, she swallowed every thing, but digested noth- 
ing. There was one long holiday in the Peninsula ; but though 
revelry, feasting, and idleness were the order of the day, the 
real national prosperity was gone forever. 

The court, in those unthrifty times, scornfully ignored every 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 117 

axiom of political economy suggested to common sense by the 
stream of wealth poured into the country. 

In former years, when the kings of Castile were elected by 
the barons, they told the sovereign at his coronation that they 
who sanctioned it were his equals, and, united, his superiors ; 
and that they conferred upon him the regal power, and prom- 
ised to obey him, 'provided he continued to respect their rights ; 
and, if he did not, then not, " Y, si no ! no I " But now the sove- 
reign was worshipped by his unworthy subjects, men like him- 
self, with a slavishness hardly less base than the reverence 
paid to the grand lama ; and the once chivalrous house of 
Burgundy had degenerated so fearfully, that it was remarked 
by a contemporaneous historian that Charles V. was a warrior 
and a king, Philip II. a king only, Philip III. and Philip IV. 
not even kings, while Charles II. was not even a man. 

The latter imbecile sovereign was a mere human machine, 
whose every step, word, and action were regulated by an un- 
changeable system of etiquette, which set at naught volition ; 
and whose appearance, as one may still see in his portrait in 
Madrid, was that of hopeless idiocy, which waB his real char- 
acter. His costume, also strictly regulated by etiquette, con- 
sisting of a rigid black velvet dress, with the huge golilla (ruff) 
encircling his neck, — painfully suggestive of the head of John 
the Baptist in a charger, — strengthens his resemblance to an 
automaton. The irrational and impious system of king-worship 
was immensely popular ; and the Spaniards even committed 
the impiety of speaking of las dos viajestades (the two majes- 
ties), coupling the sacred host with their earthly sovereign, 
and thus adding sacrilege to their other national sins. In 
their most violent revolts the Spaniards never thought of depos- 
ing the king ; always shouting '■' Viva el rey absoluto ! " whether 
he was a tyrant, a knave, or an idiot. Finally their manners 
grew intolerable ; political bigotry and fanaticism ruled the 
kingdom j and irreligion was so universal, that assignations were 



118 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

usually made in churches, even at the hour of the holy sacri- 
fice ! Crime remained unpunished, or was condoned ; and the 
proverbial delays of the law were prolonged tenfold. 

At the time of my tour, Ferdinand YII. had been dead 
about three years : his infant daughter, Isabel II. was the titu- 
lar queen ; and her mother, Maria Christina of Naples, third 
wife of Ferdinand, was regent of the kingdom. The old king 
had reigned with absolute power for more than twenty years 
over a population of twelve millions of Spaniards, who, almost 
unanimously, had hailed his accession to the throne of the 
Bourbons, loudly clamoring for the ancient regime of despot- 
ism. The vox populi being in full harmony with the secret 
wishes of the king, with the concurrence of the army and the 
armada (navy) he issued a decree annulling every act of the 
Cortes passed during his captivity in France, — which acts were 
exceedingly liberal, — and restoring the absolute monarchy. 
This measure was received with immense enthusiasm. The sight 
of a whole nation thus debasing itself, and eagerly riveting 
chains upon its own limbs, is melancholy indeed ; but the fact 
is beyond dispute. This cowardly weakness was particularly 
lamentable in this instance ; for Ferdinand VII. was a weak 
man, depraved in heart and corrupt in life, with scarcely a 
redeeming quality. His first wife was his cousin, Maria of 
Naples, — a lovely, gentle, and aifectionate princess : but her 
brutal husband blighted her life ; and she perished, as there is 
every reason to believe, by poison administered by his hand. 
He then sought a wife among Napoleon's family; but the 
emperor thought he could not recommend for a husband a man 
who had attempted the life of both his parents, and had mur- 
dered his wife : so the offer was declined ; and, eight years after- 
wards, Ferdinand married his niece, Maria of Portugal. At 
the same time, his brother, Don Carlos, wedded a princess of 
the same royal house. Ferdinand hated his brother, and de- 
sired to shut him out from the succession. In less than one 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 119 

year, the queen died childless ; and, a few months afterwards, 
the king, anxious to secure an heir, took another bride, — Maria 
Amelia of Saxony. Meantime insurrections, executions, im- 
prisonment, and misery afflicted poor Spain. 

For ten years the queen endured her husband, and then 
sank childless into the grave, leaving Ferdinand, a worn-out 
debauche of forty-five, imbecile in mind and body, but still 
haunted by the thought that the sceptre would pass into the 
hands of the hated Carlos. His last bride was Maria Christina 
of Naples, a frivolous girl of twenty, without conscience or 
moral scruples, but gifted with a considerable amount of 
shrewdness, which fitted her admirably for the palace intrigues 
in which she became so famous. 

Almost her first act after marriage was to take as her lover 
one Munoz, a private soldier in the king's life-guard, — a young, 
handsome, and vigorous man, but of the lowest extraction, 
manners, and deportment. She lavished wealth and titles 
upon this person, creating him Duke of Rianzares ; and with 
her friends exulted in the probable success of their scheme to 
secure an heir to the throne, and thus to defeat the preten- 
sions of Carlos. There was only one drawback to this little 
game ; which was, that, should the offspring of the queen prove 
a female, Carlos would be still the next in succession, under 
the Salic law, which had prevailed in Spain for a hundred and 
fifty years. 

While all the kingdom anxiously awaited the issue of the 
accouchement of the queen, the Carlist party were dismayed by 
the promulgation of a decree by the king, revoking the Salic 
law, and transmitting the crown to females in default of male 
heirs. 

On the 10th October, 1830, a daughter — afterwards Isabel 11. 
— was born ; and, a formidable insurrection having broken out 
in Madrid, the king repealed his obnoxious decree, but again 
re-affirmed it after the crisis had passed. There is no doubt 



120 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

that the queen procured, by her influence over the miserable 
old monarch, the execution of these several decrees, and even 
guided his hand in signing them ; for Ferdinand was a con- 
firmed invalid, and lived secluded in his palace, entirely under 
his wife's influence. She thus secured a party in her favor, 
which she used every means to strengthen ; and finally the old 
king, exhausted by his excesses and sickness, delegated the 
regal authority to his wife as a reward for her wifely care. 

The two parties of Christina and Carlos now secretly pre- 
pared to appeal to arms : but their preparations were suspend- 
ed upon the announcement that the queen was again about 
to become a mother; for, should the issue be a son, Carlos 
would have no claim. After a few months of hopes, fears, and 
doubts on all sides, the queen gave birth to another daughter, — 
the infanta Luisa. Finally the old king was called away, and 
died Sept. 29^ 1833. His death-bed was the scene of quarrels, 
reproaches, and even blows, among his affectionate relations, 
who departed with malevolence in their hearts to summon 
their adherents on either side ; and the civil war, so long de- 
ferred, at last broke out. 

I frequently saw the queen-regent and her two daughters, 
and can vouch for their fine appearance ; but, that they had 
much Bourbon blood in their veins, I presume no one in Ma- 
drid could be found so credulous as to maintain, expecting to be 
believed. The well-known fact that Doiia Christina continued 
to increase her family after the death of Ferdinand VII., and 
profited by her position to acquire the means of supporting 
them all handsomely, may be of interest to those who ardently 
admire royal institutions. 

Even from the foregoing meagre statement, it must appear 
that no nation in history was ever so entirely abandoned to the 
adoration of senseless eccentricities as was Spain. She appears 
to be isolated from the rest of the world in thought and feel- 
ing, and has been governed by passions and vices apparently 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 121 

most incompatible. In no other country has the monarchical 
principle of government obtained so much discredit. For four 
centuries the Spanish crown has never been worn by an en- 
lightened sovereign devoted to the interests of his people, 
or deserving any better fate than historical ignominy ; yet 
Spaniards have continued to believe in their rulers, to fight for 
them, to die for them, and even to prostitute their country for 
their interests. 

What will be the end ? The answer is, that Spaniards have 
always been fanatics in politics, and "Espaiiolismo" has ever 
been their test of truth. An abandonment of that false stan- 
dard must precede the disinthrahnent of Spain, political and 
intellectual. Until then, liberty will be unknown to her, and 
progress impossible. 

11 



XVI. 

ABOUT a year after my Spanish tour, — which interval 
had been spent in cruising in the Mediterranean, — 
the ship arrived in the harbor of Algiers ; and I had a short 
leave to visit the interior of that Erench colony. A British 
admiral compares the city of Algiers to an old main-topsail 
spread out on a hillside to dry : not an inapt likeness to one 
looking from the anchorage. Its white walls, and cross-streets 
in parallel lines, certainly resemble the reef-bands. The Arabs 
more poetically compare the city to a diamond set in emerald 
and sapphire, — alluding to the green hills and the blue sea 
around it. Here, as elsewhere, Nature is more truthfully 
depicted by barbarian poetry than by civilized prose. 

The clear shies in its calm atmosphere reflect a dazzling 
light, and the sharp outlines of the mountains cut the horizon 
distinctly in the transparent distance ; while the gentle sound 
of the sea-breeze and the sceot of the sweetly-perfumed land 
transport the vision of the imagination far into the depths of 
remote Atlas. On landing, these charms measurably fade ; and 
the city hardly answers the promise of first sight from the 
sea. In the Moorish quarters especially, the narrow streets 
and peculiar architecture of the houses, built with reference 
to the Mussulman's ideas of seclusion and jealousy, make the 
city an inextricable labyrinth, full of oddity and mystery. 
These streets are rough to mount, and rougher to descend, 
many of them being "impasses." We are agreeably surprised 

122 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 123 

upon entering some of these houses, as all their comfort and 
elegance are reserved for the interior, wherein are freshness, 
coolness, and rich furniture. An inside gallery runs around 
a court filled with beautiful fountains, and adorned with 
flowers, upon which open all the apartments of the mansion ; 
and a fine terrace forms the roof, from which the eye ranges 
over the sea and the lofty mountains of the Jujura. The 
Erench authorities had occupied some of these palaces of the 
old Algerines as government offices and quarters ; and in 
several of them I was hospitably received. Abd-el-Kuder was 
then still at large, and at war with the French, who indeed 
were masters onlj^ of the seaboard, and of the interior so far 
as the city of Blidah, which had succumbed not long before 
to their arms. 

Although Algiers is chiefly known to us by tradition as the 
capital city of piracy, and though Shakspeare makes it the 
birthplace of Sycorax, the mother of the imp Caliban, still, 
seen in the lovely month of March, one must imagine it to be 
peopled by the most amiable of corsairs and sorceresses. The 
skies have all the smiling sweetness of Italy ; and the climate 
is so delightful, that even the galley-slaves, as we are told, 
when liberated, pined to return to the scene of their captivity. 

After a few hasty preparations for my trip, I mounted one 
of the stair-like streets leading to the casbah, which formerly 
was the citadel of the dey, and is now a French fortress and 
depot. I occasionally paused to view the strange sights, — the 
veiled and spectral forms of the Moorish women, and wild- 
looking, coifed Arabs in their flowing white bornouses, with 
here and there a Turk or a Frank. I heard the gay notes of 
an infantry bugle ; and soon a company of French soldiers 
passed by on their way to relieve some post or guard in the 
upper part of the city. The French foot-soldier has a martial 
and forcible aspect, which always commands my attention and 
admiration, mixed, I confess, with a little envy. Their elastic 



124 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

step, confident air, and determined bearing, give one the as- 
surance that those active feet will follow the path in which 
they may enter to the end. 

Having arrived at the casbah, I was politely received by the 
old major in command of the depot, to whom I was accredited 
by superior authority, and introduced to the captain of the 
foreign legion, who was to command the detachment detailed 
as convoy which I had received permission to accompany. 
Capt. Senneval invited me to dine at the mess ; and I met at 
their hospitable board several military men of the different 
corps then in the colony. Their conversation was general, 
frank, and open, relating principally to the war in progress ; 
and I heard of acts of brilliant valor, and even of eccentric 
hardihood, spoken of without boasting or military pedantry. 
These African heroes told only of what they had seen, not 
what they had done ; and I was convinced of the truth of 
their stories by the simplicity of the narrators. 

There were about a dozen officers at the table, which was 
plentifully supplied, and handsomely decorated with flowers ; 
the waiters being fine-looking Maltese women, under the man- 
agement of an old steward ; also a Maltese, who, as I was in- 
formed, had been a pirate. Among these officers I saw repre- 
sentatives of nearly every nation in Europe. The old major 
had cast off his shabby blouse, and the blue spectacles he wore 
in his bureau, and appeared in all the glory of the epaulets 
of his rank, cross of the legion, and pantalons garance, which 
he wore with the ease and grace of an old soldier. 

The officers, I was told, were of two classes; those who 
served with the legion as etrangers^ — free lances, who had 
taken service under the French flag, having left their native 
lands under untoward circumstances, — and of French volun- 
teers sent to serve in that corps to attain promotion. To the 
latter class belonged Capt. Senneval and a regular vieux mous- 
tache near whom I sat, and who rejoiced in the nom de guerre 



KEEL AND SADDLE, 125 

of Capt. Eylau, — so called from a habit he had of talking coii- 
nnually about that great battle, in which he served as a 
drummer-boy ; his present rank being that of captain of 
" zephyrs," as they are called in the African battalions. 

Coffee and cigars having ended the meal, I rose from table, 
and entertained myself for a while with the new and strange 
sights around me. 

At that time Blidah, now only a few hours of peaceful 
travel h^ railway from Algiers, was a garrisoned post in an 
enemy's country, surrounded by tribes of stealth}^, wandering 
Kabyles ; and our expedition was sent to convoy stores for 
the use of the garrison. It was composed of two companies 
of infantry, — one of zephyrs, and one of the foreign legion, 
and a squadron of spahis, — native cavalry ; the whole under 
command of Capt. Senneval. 

Although this officer was quite a young man, his commis- 
sion was older than that of Capt. Eylau ; which gave him the 
command. 

Our little column — with the exception of the cavalry — 
started at early daybreak in order to arrive at a certain 
bivouac not very far from Blidah at an early hour, provided 
we were not interrupted by the Kabyles. This was not im- 
probable, for stores were much coveted by them, especially 
ammunition ; and there were always spies in Algiers to give 
intelligence of any important movement. It was rumored 
that the emir himself was known to be far from the plain, or 
table-land, of Algiers : and the quiet attitude of the neighbor- 
ing tribes confirmed that opinion ; for they w^ere very uneasy 
when their great chief was near or among them. 

In hope of a quiet march, Capt. Senneval had directed the 
troop of spahis not to mount and follow our column nntil the 
infantry and wagons had been two hours on the road ; know- 
ing that it is very fatiguing to cavalry to regulate its march 
by that of infantry, and vice versa. After quitting Algiers, 
11* 



126 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

we rode leisurely across a level plain by a well-worn road 
through a country in which we saw a few Moorish houses 
surrounded by high walls, all having the same mute and 
lugubrious appearance. Soon even these disappeared; and 
only a few fig, aloe, and dwarf-palm trees were to be seen. 
The country was known to be inhabited by the wild tribes ; 
but we saw not a human creature, nor even a domestic 
animal. 

The way was so monotonous, that I began to yawn from 
weariness ; when suddenly Capt. Senneval, who rode near me, 
in the centre of the column, put spurs to his horse, and dashed 
to its head. Looking for the cause of his movement, I saw a 
light-blue smoke curling up in the cool mountain-air far 
ahead. It was evident that this aerial spectre, clearly drawn 
upon the deep blue of the sky, was a signal of some sort ; for 
the officers knew that there were no villages or lodges, even 
of the temporary sort called " gourbis," in that direction. 
Old Eylau was called to the front, and a rapid conference 
ensued, a party of eclaireurs being detailed to scour the coun- 
try in the advance ; and we proceeded about a league farther. 

The sun was now getting powerful ; and the soldiers marched 
along with their great-coats open, their muskets en han- 
douliere, and long walking-sticks in their hands, — a peculiarity 
of African troops, who use them also as tent-poles. As the 
sun became hotter, the road-song — chanson de route — died 
away; and no sounds were heard save the tinkling of the 
mess-pans and accoutrements of the troops, slung to the goat- 
skin knapsacks, in which the French soldier carries his whole 
worldly wealth. 

Suddenly arriving at a place where the ground was some- 
what broken, we heard shots from the eclaireurs. The aide- 
major of the command halted, and closed up the wagons ; tlie 
bugles sounded the " rally," which brought in the skirmishers 
to the main body ; and the troops deployed from column to 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 127 

line of battle. The enemy was in force in our front, at no 
great distance, determined to dispute our progress ; their main 
body being masked by a cloud of Arab horsemen galloping 
swiftly about, their white bornouses floating in the air, shout- 
ing, and firing their long Turkish guns, or brandishing them 
at arm's length. Behind them were the dark masses of 
Kabyle infantry. 

Capt. Senneval approached ; and I saw, by his intrepid 
air and bearing, that our safety was in good hands. The 
soldiers of the legion betrayed at once all their national 
characteristics. The Spaniard was disdainfully grave ; the 
eyes of the Pole grew bright, and his color heightened ; 
while all the mustaches, brown, red, or black, bristled up 
at the very idea of a fight, giving me, a neutral spectator, 
the agreeable assurance that I was under excellent protec- 
tion. The " zephyrs " entered into the spirit of the thing 
with the customary gayety of the gamins of Paris, from 
which class their ranks were mainly recruited, and with the 
laughing philosophy in the hour of danger for which they are 
distinguished. These enfaMs perdits are generally well com- 
manded ; and their officers, being taken from the regiments of 
the line, show their soldiers an example of intrepidity, allied to 
habits of discipline, which proves to them that all the military 
virtues may be united. The officers identify themselves with 
their soldiers in action, decide rapidly, and act quickly. 

Just such an officer was Capt. Balment, commonly called 
Eylau, who had spent his whole life under the French colors. 

The wagons and ambulances of the convoy were massed in 
the rear of the line of battle, and the action was becoming 
warm ; when I saw an old non-commissioned officer brought to 
the rear for treatment, and I addressed him. He was already 
in the hands of the surgeon, and submitted himself with cool 
imperturbability. Withdrawing his pipe for a moment from Ins 
mouth, " Ah ! " said he, " they have among them some promi- 



128 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

nent officer of Abd-el-Kader, if not the emir himself. I see it 
by the boldness with which their cavalry attack our line. 
They are sustained by a strong force of infantry." 

The situation was, indeed, becoming serious ; and I began to 
repent having wished to see something of the country beyond 
the walls of Algiers. Men were falling ; and a soldier in front 
of me was killed by a bullet, slightly spattering me with 
blood and brain. A band of the Kabyles, led by a chief of 
large stature, advanced towards our line at the charge, direct- 
ing themselves upon the " zephyr " company commanded by 
Eylau. The captain drew his sabre, sheathed till now, took 
his hriile gueule from his mouth, and placed himself in front 
of his covering sergeant, on the right of his company. The 
enemy, howling and gesticulating, charged the " zephyrs ; " but 
they endured the shock steadily, receiving the horsemen on 
their sabre bayonets, many of which were impurpled. Then 
Capt. Eylau, passing from defence to attack, threw his com- 
pany — dressed as if on parade — upon the Kabyles. I saw 
his sabre plunged into the body of the tall chief, who fell like 
lead ; and, quick as lightning, a zephyr, rummaging among his 
white vestments, drew forth his watch, and secured his arms. 
So skilfully was this done, that I thought the dexterity of the 
gamin must have been acquired in a different field. 

Eylau was triumphant, driving the enemy far from the 
wagons ; but they outnumbered us, and, despite the well-sus- 
tained fire of the French troops, re-enforced their front line, 
and renewed the action, as if determined on victory. I saw in 
the faces of Capt. Senneval and others that the crisis had 
arrived, and that they were wishing for any, even the smallest 
re-enforcement, when a movement took place in the enemy's 
line : their fire became hesitating, and then ceased. They 
broke, and ran ; and we knew that they were charged in flank 
by French cavalry. 

We saw the red bornouses and white turbans of the spahis, 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 129 

their flashing sabres above their heads, dashing upon the 
Kabyles, whose rout was completed by a charge of our 
infantry ; and the field was won. The squadron of spahis had 
left Algiers, as ordered, two hours after our departure, and 
were leisurely following our trail, when, hearing the din of 
battle, they had galloped up just in time to decide the combat. 
The enemy were now in full retreat, pursued by the spahis, 
who mercilessly cut them down as they ran. 

Our tired and exhausted soldiers were then marched to a 
pleasant bivouac near by ; and, with the readiness peculiar to 
Frenchmen, the whole force was soon under shelter from the 
burning sun. Fires were kindled, and cooking began ; while 
the soldiers divested themselves of their arms and accoutre- 
ments, and lay around in groups under the trees, or near the 
water. Soon the spahis were seen returning from the pursuit 
in a cool, sauntering manner, contrasting strongly with their 
former impetuosity, and unlike the eager, talkative Gaul. 
They sat solemn and straight upon their saddles, silent and 
almost motionless, many of them being Mussulmans. Every 
spahi bore some spoil of war, — Kabyle " flissos," yatagans, 
guns, pistols, and trinkets of different kinds. 

These doughty cavaliers were headed by their officer, — 
a slender, blonde j^oung man, who was evidently one of the 
jeunesse doree, although attired in the costume of an Oriental 
Frenchman. The Vicomte de Bertrand could never have been 
mistaken for a Turk, notwithstanding his dress ; for his air, 
actions, and gestures instantly betrayed his nationality. On 
his head was a snowy turban of irreproachable twist, rolled 
around a " checia," placed far back on his head, like those of 
the "Turcos ; " and his blonde mustache hung down from the 
corners of his mouth, of a shape and length equally forbidden 
to true believers. Although his garments were of the regu- 
lation color of the spahi uniform, his red vest was embroi- 
dered with gold in fantastic designs unknown to the 



130 KEEL AND SADDLE, 

ordonnance ; and his light-blue trousers terminated m red 
morocco boots, that would not have been out of place at 
Franconi's. He bestrode a fine sorrel-horse, lithe and slender 
like himself, showily caparisoned a la Turque, and which 
seemed to partake of his rider's disposition, as the pair ad- 
vanced towards the bivouac curvetting and prancing, horse 
and rider on excellent terms with each other. Notwithstand- 
ing his dramatic and exaggerated Orientalism, I was informed 
that the vicomte was an excellent officer, and a man of 
brilliant and generous qualities ; which report I had an oppor- 
tunity of verifying before we parted. 

I strolled towards the spahis, who were now mingling with 
their comrades ; when suddenly I heard a salutation in Spanish 
in a well-remembered voice, " Ah ! mi teniente que alegria de 
verle ! " and, could it be — yes, it certainly was — my old 
friend and trusty squire here in Africa, — Manuel Blasco y 
Gusman ? 

Blasco was mounted upon a spirited Arab, a red bornouse 
hanging from his shoulders instead of the capa parda, on his 
head the spahi turban in place of his montera, and from the 
pommel of his saddle there dangled by the mahomet — a 
long lock of hair left by all Osmanlees to hoist them into 
paradise — a grisly human head. We had much to say to 
each other at this unexpected meeting ; for Blasco was as gar- 
rulous and declamatory as ever. We rested all night at this 
bivouac without further adventure, and next day arrived at 
Blidah. 

This city was celebrated under the Turkish rule as a 
sojourn of pleasure, and known as the "voluptuous." It 
always had a large population, and is famed for the excellence 
of its oranges and lemons. It was taken by the French army 
under Marshal Clausel in 1830. The foot hills of the Atlas 
range approach its walls quite nearly; and it overlooks the 
fertile plain of the Metidja, and commands the passes of those 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 131 

mountains. The surrounding country is remarkable for the 
beauty of its landscapes, the richness of its soil, the salubrity 
of its atmosphere, and the abundance of its waters. 

The city is charmingly ensconced in a perfumed forest of 
oranges, limes, mulberry, figs, jujubes, dates, and other African 
trees. These rich groves are watered by the Oned Kebir, the 
sources of which are not far from the city. I was the guest 
of the colonel commanding the garrison, and his amiable lady, 
in a luxurious palace which had once belonged to a rich 
Moslem. I made some excursions in the neighborhood in 
company with the French officers, so far as was prudent on 
account of the lurking Kabyles. 

After several days passed in a most agreeable manner, I 
returned to Algiers and to the ship under the protection of 
the spahis, gratefully acknowledging the hospitality of my 
friends. I left Manuel Blasco in Algiers ; that worthy inform- 
ing me that he had decided to take up his residence in that 
city after the termination of his enlistment, or even before 
that time if he could obtain his discharge. I rather doubted 
his purpose, until he introduced me to a portly Mahonese 
lady, who kept a hotel and baths, and appeared to possess a 
fair portion of this world's goods and a fine run of custom. 
She was a widow whom he had won by his blandishments, and 
who — I afterwards heard — consented to marry him; and 
Blasco became very popular in his capacity of landlord. 



XVII. 

AFTER returning from the Mediterranean, I was almost 
immediately ordered to join the squadron of Com. George 
C. Read, and with it made a cruise of circumnavigation. 

Stopping at Madeira and the cape on our outward voyage, 
we entered the Mozambique Channel, and anchored at Zanzi- 
bar, then under the government of the imam, Syeed Syeed 
bin Sultan of Muscat. 

This prince was a Mussulman of the strictest sect ; and, 
although more liberal than most Eastern despots, had attained 
supreme power by the usual stages of crime, among which 
were the murders of several of his nearest relatives. Having 
gained the object of his ambition, he adopted a conciliatory 
domestic policy, and was tolerant, even generous, to foreigners; 
so that, in time, he became the most popular of Asiatic rulers. 
He also greatly extended his dominions, and added to the 
hereditary possessions of his house nearly the whole coast of 
Africa, from Cape Guardafui south to the Portuguese settle- 
ments, with which nation he was thus brought into collision. 
The imam was at Zanzibar on our arrival, and received us hos- 
pitably, insisting on furnishing the whole crew with provisions 
during our stay. 

Visiting the imam at his palace at Mtony, we found him a 
handsome middle-aged man, of fine personal appearance, evi- 
dently a full-blooded Arab, with the slender form, clear olive 
skin, regular and handsome features, and small delicate ex- 

132 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 133 

tremities, of that race. In his deportment he was a perfectly 
well-bred gentleman ; and his manners far surpassed in courtesy 
and grace the most refined European standard. 

His son, who was present at the interview, was of the same 
type as his father. Among others of his suite was a tall, 
stalwart negro, conspicuous by his costly dress, and who was 
acting then as vizier, being a man of uncommon intellect for 
one of his race, in spite, as it seemed, of the cruelty which 
had deprived him of his manhood; for he was a eunuch. 
Having turned Mussulman while a slave of the imam, 
he had been manumitted in conformity with the laws of the 
Wahabee sect of Glam, which forbid the enslavement of a 
believer in the Prophet. I was told a singular story of this 
eunuch ; and, as it illustrates the peculiar military policy of 
the prince, I will repeat it. 

Ahmed had been from boyhood the personal attendant of 
Syeed. He became attached to his master, served him with 
affectionate fidelity, and was his chief agent in the accomplish- 
ment of the crimes by which that prince mounted to his 
throne. 

When the imam began his wars for conquest, he coveted 
possession of the town of Momtas, on the mainland of Africa, 
not far from Zanzibar. He accordingly blockaded that sea- 
port with his fleet, having a land force on board his ships ; but 
the Portuguese had no idea of surrendering as long as they 
could hold the castle. This castle is situated upon an island 
in the mouth of the harbor, commands the entrance, and is the 
key to the place. 

The troops of the imam, as is customary in Arabia, con- 
sisted of his own black slaves, naked, and armed with a long 
straight sword, and a small target, or buckler, of rhinoceros- 
hide, in the use of which they are very skilful. 

Finding the garrison obstinate in spite of his blockade, the 
imam hit upon an original and ingenious expedient to gain 

12 



1^4 KEEL AND SADDLE, 

tlie castle. Taking advantage of a dark night, lie manned all 
liis boats, and put into them five hundred picked men com- 
manded by Ahmed. 

Rowing in close to the beach with muffled oars, this forlorn 
hope was landed on the island as near the walls as possible ; 
and then the imam addressed them in low tones. 

After appealing to their courage and fidelity, he threw his 
blood-red flag to the intrepid eunuch in command of the storm- 
ing party, and said, " I am determined to possess that castle 
by to-morrow morning ; and I command you to hoist that flag 
upon its highest tower before the dawn. Should you remain 
where you now are, the enemy will probably exterminate you 
at dawn ; but should he foolishly spare you, and I do not see 
my flag flying from tlie castle at daylight, I shall then open the 
fire of my ships, not upon the walls of the fort, but upon you.^^ 
The imam then coolly left the bewildered negroes to their 
kistnet (fate), and regained his ship. How many of the 
devoted band were slain, I know not ; but, when the first gray 
light of approaching day fell upon the walls of the Castle of 
Momtas, it revealed that red flag streaming from its battle- 
ments : the garrison had passed under the edge of the sword, 
and the town and its dependencies capitulated to the imam, 
who anchored his ships in the harbor, and took possession. 

Our cruise extended to the Eed Sea, Muscat, the ports of 
the Persian Gulf, and Surat ; and we finally anchored in the 
harbor of Bombay, where the squadron rendezvoused. 

The war with Cabul broke out about this time ; and a large 
army, destined to act against that country, was united from 
the three presidencies of British India at Bombay under the 
command of Lord Keane. The subsequent operations and 
disastrous defeat of a part of this army have been told by 
Lady Florence Sale, wife of Sir Robert Sale, who was in the 
campaign with her husband, and taken prisoner by the emir, 
Dost Mahomet. 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 135 

The presence of so many officers made Bombay quite a gay 
city while we lay there ; and, shortly before we sailed, I wit- 
nessed the march of the army, — a most curious military 
spectacle. 

The host of fifty thousand combatants was encamped on the 
wide glacis of the walled and fortified city, which extends in a 
semicircular form about one and a half miles towards the 
populous surrounding suburbs. 

In the centre of this fine esplanade we were stationed near 
the statue of Lord Cornwallis, which commands a view of the 
whole area. 

The troops had all gathered at their respective camps, and 
the regimental parades were succeeded by a rest in place ; 
when, at the sound of the sunset-gun from the fortress, every 
tent was struck, disappearing as if by the wand of an 
enchanter. 

At the same time the band struck up the fine old English 

air, — 

" Don't you hear your general say, 
Strike your tents, and march away ? " — 

and the leading regiment, followed by all the other corps in 
column of companies, took up the march, which, in India, is 
nearly always at night, in order to avoid the heat. 

First came several regiments of European infantry, all 
stalwart, well-drilled men, evidently superior in physique to 
the natives; then some fine field-batteries, escorted by the 
British regular light-cavalry, hussars, and lancers ; then more 
batteries of native artillery, followed by several thousand native 
irregulars, mounted on Persian horses, and presenting a some- 
what mediaeval appearance, being clad in shirts of glittej-ing 
mail, with steel helms and shields, armed with matchlocks, 
javelins, and even bows and arrows. 

These troops were more picturesque than efficient, I should 
suppose: for there was little uniformity among themj each 



136 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

man owning his horse, as I was told, and furnishing his own 
arms. 

After these came the Sepoy infantry, twenty thousand strong, 
— a noble-looking body of men. The siege-train, escorted by 
native cavalry, closed the long procession of regular troops. 

Then followed a crowd of people unknown to European 
armies, but who in India greatly outnumber the regular sol- 
diers, — the camp-followers; a cosmopolitan throng of men 
and women, in all the varied costumes of the East, — Euro- 
peans, Persians, Mahometans, Gentoos, Parsees, on horseback 
and on foot, in vehicles of all sorts, drawn by horses, bullocks, 
asses, and mules, — some borne in palanquins, some riding 
bullocks, and a few on camels, mingled with the syces (grooms) 
of the ofi&cers, with their beautiful led horses ; while at inter- 
vals in the long array might be seen the stately movement 
of the colossal elephant. 

This motley crowd were all talking and hallooing amid the 
rout and dust, in strange contrast to the silence of the disci- 
plined masses that preceded them. 

Having visited the celebrated cave-temples, and seen the 
other objects of curiosity in this part of India, we sailed, and, 
after touching at Goa, arrived at Colombo, in Ceylon. While 
at this port we heard of several acts of piracy committed by 
the Malays of Sumatra, and sailed for that island to punish 
them. To detail all the events that took place during our 
stay here would hardly interest the general reader, so long a 
time has elapsed since their occurrence. I will therefore 
content myself with saying that we remained about three 
months on the coast of Sumatra, engaged alternately in threat- 
ening, negotiating, and fighting the Malays. One town, 
Muckie, we entirely destroyed, as an example to the rest, — 
j)0UT encourager les autres, — some of its people having taken 
the American bark '' Eclipse '' of Salem, murdered the captain 
and others, and plundered the vessel of a large sum. Expo- 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 137 

sure and hardship on the Sumatrian coast introduced tlie 
cholera and dysentery among our crews. The squadron was 
compelled to quit the coast ; and March, 1839, saw us at anchor 
at Singapore. 

From Singapore we went to China, and remained there for 
some months, engaged in attending to American interests ; 
and then sailed for the Sandwich Islands, where we arrived in 
due season, after having experienced a terrible typhoon in the 
China Sea while passing through the Bashu Passage into the 
great Southern Ocean. 

After visiting several of the most prominent island-groups 
of this ocean more or less frequented by navigators, we hove to 
oif the tiny island known as Pitcairn's. This mere point in 
the great Pacific Ocean is well known as the home of the 
descendants of the mutineers of " The Bounty," — children of 
Englishmen by Tahitian women, and immortalized by Byron 
in the beautiful poem " The Island." 

After the mutiny, and the arrival of Capt. Bligh in England, 
— before which he endured incredible hardships, and crossed the 
broad Pacific in the launch of " The Bounty," in which he and 
his officers were set adrift, — the British Government sought 
assiduously but vainly to discover the refuge of the mutineers. 
They were found at last, accidentally, by an American whale- 
ship, upon Pitcairn's Island, which had always been supposed 
to be uninhabited. The ringleaders of the mutiny having 
nearly all died, and time having weakened the government's 
resolution to inflict vengeance upon the poor remnant, the 
king took the islanders under his protection ; and, Pitcairn's 
being considered too small for its increased population, the 
inhabitants were removed to Norfolk Island. But they were 
so unhappy in their new abode, that they were soon remanded 
to their original and native home, in which, for more than forty 
years, they had been secluded from the rest of the world, and 
ignorant of any other of that world's empires. 
12* 



138 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

There were originally five couples of English and Tahitians ; 
and from these had descended the population of the island — 
three hundred and more — at the time of our visit. The widow 
of Fletcher Christian, the ringleader of the mutiny of " The 
Bounty," was still living. There were also three Englishmen 
landed on the island since its rediscovery with their children 
by island wives. 

Although the increase had been great in the population of 
the little islet, — for it is no more than an islet, and one can 
row all round it in a boat in three or four hours, — there were 
yet no persons among them over fifty ; which was considered a 
great age, and about the usual limit of human life, as I dis- 
covered in conversing with the people. The increase of the 
population, then, was due, not to longevity but to their prac- 
tice of early marriage, and consequent fruitfulness. 

What evidence of a general law are we to deduce from this 
state of things ? 

Christian and his companions, with their Tahitian wives, 
landed at Pitcairn's in 1789 ; and in 1840 there were but ten 
survivors of the first generation, the children of the mutineers, 
although these islanders came into the world under circum- 
stances apparently favorable to longevity. Why this pre- 
mature decaj'- ? Not hereditary disposition ; for the Tahitians 
are a long-lived race, and there never were epidemics on the 
island. Neither could they complain of too monotonous or 
insufficient nourishment ; for the land was very productive. I 
can truly say, I never beheld a more athletic and admirably- 
formed people, or one seemingly more free from any signs of 
physical inferiority. It could not arise from intermarriage, 
the effect of which would be visible in mental and physical 
degeneration as well as abridgment of life. On the other 
hand, we know, that in some countries, — the Alps and Norway, 
for example, — cousins constantly marry each other for long- 
continued generations, from necessity ; and nowhere can be 
seen more robust or long-lived people. 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 139 

There must be some other cause ; and this I find in their 
isolated condition. 

A state of monotonous peace and contentment, preserved by 
careful vigilance or absence of temptation, is not the normal 
state of man, nor one in which his energies have the healthy 
play which insures durability of constitution. The average 
man of our modern civilization, even in the United States, 
— where his labors are greater, perhapsj than in any other 
country, with his burden of cares and passions, his wasting 
exertions amid earnest competitions, — has no cause to believe 
in a general shortening of the span of life allotted to him. 
Neither is a savage liable to this complaint ; for, should he 
escape the casualties of quarrels and war and epidemics, he is 
likely to live long. 

The wild tension of his energies and passions, the sharp 
spur given to his faculties by their constant exercise in the 
service of the instinct of self preservation, all tend to maintain 
the vigor of his powers, and to counterbalance the effects of 
habitual sloth and frequent excesses. But, when the constitu- 
tion lacks one or the other of these stimuli, there seems to be 
a tendency to early decay. It is not intellectual exercise that 
is wanting, or that given by education ; neither is it bodily 
exercise, — for Pitcairners have enough of both, — but it is the 
exercise of other mixed powers implanted within us, — the pas- 
sions of hope and fear, the desire of achievement, and the 
triumph of success. The mere animal enjoyment of life, for a 
while, may be a substitute for these in early youth ; but it 
cannot outlast natural growth ; and, in the mechanical pro- 
longation of it which follows, the faculties seem to wane in a 
gentle decline. This is not a wild conclusion from an insulated 
and peculiar case ; for the same phenomena may be witnessed 
elsewhere, as in the Sandwich Islands, the Tonga, the Navi- 
gator, and Samoan groups, and, in fact, in most of the Pacific 
islands. 



140 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

At the termination of this cruise I remained but a few 
months on shore, and, having been ordered to the corvette 
" St. Louis," sailed for the old cruising-ground in the West 
Indies. 

We were among the Windward Islands, westward from St. 
Thomas, one day, when I had charge of the deck under a clear, 
pleasant sky ; and, as the regular trade-wind of the tropics 
was blowing, the ship was running along free, under all 
sail, when the lookout cried from the masthead, " Breakers 
ahead ! " I knew by the reckoning that we were several 
hundred miles distant from land, but immediately shortened 
sail ; while the captain, officers, and crew, startled by the cry, 
came running on deck. 

Then occurred a remarkable event. The ship headed 
westerly, with the wind, which had died almost to a calm, on 
the starboard quarter. On the lee-beam the ocean seemed 
much agitated ; and soon a huge " comber '' appeared, extend- 
ing to the horizon on either end, and apparently over thirty 
feet in height above the sea-level. All hands were called ; and 
we wore ship to the southward, and brought by the wind on 
the port tack, while carpenters were battening down the 
hatches fore and aft. 

As the ship came by the wind, it suddenly fell calm ; but 
she now headed the great wave, which rushed onwards with a 
terrible roar and irresistible momentum. It struck her ; and 
her bows were raised high in the air, almost bringing her 
deck perpendicular, and throwing every man off his feet who 
had not secured himself to something in anticipation of the 
expected shock. 

She was one of the deep-waisted class of sloops-of-war, 
with heavy bulwarks full seven feet from the deck to the 
hammock-nettings, — of all vessels the worst to be boarded 
by a heavy sea. Fortunately, the ports were all out ; which 
proved our salvation. For about two minutes, I suppose, — 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 141 

it seemed a mucli longer time, — tlie ship, her crew, and 
every thing about the deck, were completely submerged. At 
my post on the poop I felt the good ship tremble through all 
her timbers under the weight of water on her deck, and 
clung to the mizzen-rigging, in which I had lashed myself. 
She then came up slowly to the surface, the water pouring 
from her port-holes in torrents ; while the great wave, or 
bore, was seen and heard far beyond her, steadily moving 
with great velocity on its mysterious course. Three other 
waves followed the first, but greatly diminished in size and 
volume ; then the surface of the ocean resumed its natural 
appearance, and the trade-winds again set in. The ship sus- 
tained little harm ; and, although a few men were badly 
bruised, there was no serious damage to life or limb. A great 
many articles were washed overboard, however; and, for 
months after, every thing lost was laid to the great sea 
bore. 

It is my belief, that had this disaster occurred at night, 
or had the ship received the shock anywhere but on her 
bows, she must have gone down, and left not a soul to tell 
the tale of how or when she disappeared, as has happened to 
many others, — " The Hornet " and " Albany," for instance, 
whose fate remains a mystery to this day. 

These sudden and mysterious disappearances are not very 
uncommon. I well remember that of the British sloop-of- 
war, "Clio," in the Grecian Archipelago. She sailed froui 
the Gulf of Salamis, iDound to Malta, but never reached her 
destined port. Some days after her departure, a violent ex- 
plosion was seen and heard from the Island of Milo — which 
is the residence of the Archipelago pilots — in the midst of 
a terrible squall of thunder and lightning. The experienced 
men who saw this declared that the explosion was not 
caused by the elements; and, as the ship was to have 
touched at Milo in order to land her Archipelago pilot, it 



142 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

was concluded that an electric flash must have fired her maga- 
zine, in an instant sending ship, crew, Greek pilot, and all, 
into eternity. 

These " hores " — which, happily, are seldom encountered — 
are, I believe, attributed to volcanic disturbance of the ocean- 
bed ; an opinion I think erroneous. They are due, I believe, 
like earthquakes, to the subtle and omnipresent electric fluid 
which pervades all Nature, and even the whole stellar sys- 
tem ; the sun being now well ascertained to be in electric 
communication and sympathy with the earth. But to enter 
upon this subject would be not only out of place here, but 
would render my little memoranda of service too diffuse and 
voluminous. 



XVIII. 

IN 1845 I sailed from the Chesapeake in a corvette des- 
tined to re-enforce our squadron in the Pacific, and arrived 
in due season at Mazatlan, in which port we found the fleet 
assembled under the command of Com. Sloat. My ship 
was shortly after ordered to the coast of California, then 
an insignificant Mexican province, in which but little interest 
was taken by the world, and the population of which was but 
a few thousand. 

As the details of my experience in California, during that 
cruise, have already been published in "A Tour of Duty in 
California,'^ printed in 1849, I will only advert here to such 
events as are necessary to preserve the continuity of my nar- 
rative, and, resuming the thread of my story at the end of 
that book, pass to those of succeeding years in the order 
they occurred ; thus furnishing a sequel to that little volume. 

The 14th of June, 1846, must be regarded as a memorable 
day in the history of California ; for then her " manifest des- 
tiny" became apparent, impelling her to "gravitate " towards 
the Union. The movement was inaugurated at the little town 
of Sonoma, the scene of the ancient mission of San Francisco 
Solano ; the Mexican flag having been struck, and what was 
known as the " bear-flag " substituted for it ; while a pro- 
visional government was established, countenanced, and au- 
thorized by Fremont, under instructions from Washington. 
Soon afterwards the whole United-States squadron arrived 

143 



144 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

at Monterey; and on the Ttli of July, 1846, Com. Sloat 
issued his proclamation, taking formal possession of the 
Californias in the name of the United States, landing his 
forces at the same time, and hoisting the American flag. By 
previous arrangement, the flag was also raised, and the proc- 
lamation read and promulgated, at Yerha Buena, now San 
Prancisco, and other principal localities. In command of a 
party from the ship, I had the honor to hoist the flag at So- 
noma; and, in less than a week, all Upper California was 
in our possession. 

It is a significant fact, that only the day after taking pos- 
session, and even before the excitement of that event had 
subsided, her Majesty's ship "Cornwallis," Admiral Sir Mi- 
chael Seymour, arrived at Monterey with orders like Com. 
Sloat's, — to take possession of the country as security for 
British holders of Mexican bonds. Admiral Seymour's or- 
ders, however, were conditional; and seeing the stars and 
stripes at the flagstaff on shore, and learning what had taken 
place, he soon sailed away. 

Alta California, thus seized in consequence of the war 
between the United States and Mexico, was held until the 
new year ; when a revolt broke out at the Pueblo de los 
Angeles, and Lieut. Gillespie of the marines, commanding the 
garrison, was forced to retreat to San Pedro, where he em- 
barked. 

In a subsequent attempt to recover the Pueblo by Capt. 
Mervine of the frigate "Savannah," his force was repulsed; 
whereupon Com. Stockton — who had succeeded Sloa,t — 
assembled all the naval force at San Diego, while Fremont 
marched by land, to attempt its recapture, it being regarded 
as the capital of Upper California. 

The squadron made their rendezvous at San Diego; and 
Stockton immediately set about preparing a force to march 
upon the Pueblo, while Fremont was approaching the same 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 145 

point from the north. Just at this time, Brig.-Gen. Stephen 
W. Kearney arrived in California b}'- the overland route from 
Sante Fe. He was attacked by a party of Californians under 
Andres Pico at San Bernardino : several of the officers and 
soldiers of his escort were killed and wounded, and his baggage 
and a field-piece fell into the enemy's hands. Kit Carson, 
who was with the general, brought the news of his arrival to 
San Diego ; and he was safely brought into our garrison by a 
party sent for the purpose. 

Com. Stockton, having completed his preparations, set forth 
towards the Pueblo at the head of four hundred seamen, sixty 
dismounted dragoons of Kearney's escort, fifty California 
volunteers, and a light battery. He first encountered the 
enemy — about five hundred cavalry, with artillery — at the 
ford of tlie River San Gabriel, not far from the Angelic capital, 
on the 8th of January, and celebrated the day by a spirited 
little fight. Having forced the passage of the San Gabriel, 
our little column debouched upon the "Mesa,'' a table-land 
some four leagues in extent, through which runs the road 
from San Diego to the Pueblo de los Angeles. As we came 
in sight of its white walls in the afternoon, we saw a long pro- 
cession of horsemen issuing from the town, and directing their 
march towards us. It soon became evident they meant to 
oppose our progress ; and our jolly tars were in liigh spirits as 
they formed in square, the artillerj'' at the angles, to receive 
them. The ground was a perfectly level, treeless plain, and 
thus admirably fitted for the evolutions of both infantry and 
cavalry. The enemy's cavaliers v/ere about two thousand 
strong, principally rancheros, and the best horsemen, probably, 
in the world. They were dressed in the Mexican costume, in 
gay serapes of all colors, and divided into bands, or squadrons, 
each of which had soi][^e kind of music, — trumpets, bugles, 
and even guitars and fiddles. They were armed with the 
escopeta (a clumsy carbine), a few with pistols and rifles, and 

13 



>^ 



146 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

some with sabres and machetes ; but by far the larger part 
had only a short lance, with a long blade, that could be used 
with one hand. Many flags streamed over the column ; some 
troopers having gayly-colored handkerchiefs fixed to their 
lances, which, fluttering in the breeze, gave a festal aspect to 
the concourse. Confidently approaching our little force, they 
sent their led horses to the rear under charge of their 
vaqueroSy and began their dispositions for an assured victory, 
forming in two columns with a squadron front, opposed to two 
faces of our square. 

Meanwhile our men stood firm, as it had been thought best 
to withhold our fire until the charge was made. Orders 
were issued to wait until the enemy came within pistol-shot ; 
but our sailors, seeing a tumultuous, noisy crowd of men 
and horses rushing upon them with cries and waving flags, 
opened fire at half-musket range rather prematurely. Our 
cartridges, being an ounce ball and three buck-shot, proved 
very destructive. Men and horses tumbled over in consider- 
able numbers, and tlie six-pound field-guns completed their 
discomfiture. They retired, however, in tolerable order, carry- 
ing off the wounded, — those who had lost their horses hanging 
by the stirrups of the more fortunate, — and again formed for 
another charge. Three times they essayed to shake our square ; 
but, being steadily met with the same withering fire, they at 
last desisted, and rode off towards the mountains, leaving open 
to us the road to their capital, which we entered on the same 
evening. 

The force which attacked us on this occasion consisted of 
native Californians, superior to Mexicans in physical power 
and military spirit, and far better horsemen ; while all the con- 
ditions of the action were favorable for cavalry in attacking 
infantry. These men were not only finely mounted on well- 
trained horses, but had also remounts on the field. Yet not 
one of them got within twenty yards of our square, in the face 



KEEL AND SADDLE, 147 

of that steady rolling file-firing ; nor was a single bayonet or 
lance, on either side, reddened with the blood of horse or man. 
It was a fair test of the respective merits of fiery and chival- 
rous cavalry opposed to steady and disciplined infantry ; and 
the former was, as sportsmen say, " nowhere." 

Their leader, Flores, attacked our sailor battalion in prefer- 
ence to the volunteer force of Fremont, which had the prestige 
of long frontier experience, which had habituated them to 
Indian warfare, and made them unerring marksmen. I think 
he committed a serious blunder; and that, had he engaged 
Fremont's force, — which had no knowledge of infantry drill 
or discipline, and no bayonets, — he must have been suc- 
cessful. 

This affair ended the struggle for the possession of Upper 
California ; and our squadron sailed soon after for the coast of 
Mexico, where part of it was employed in blockading Mazatlan 
and San Bias, while my ship was sent with the frigate 
"Congress" to Guaymas. We summoned that town to sur- 
render-, but, receiving a defiant answer, opened our batteries 
the next morning, and soon reduced it to a heap of ruins. 
Meanwhile Mazatlan was taken possession of, and also the 
important town of San Jose : at Cape San Lucas and La Paz 
the American flag was hoisted, and the province of Lower 
California occupied. 

The operations in the Pacific thus resulted in giving us 
full possession of both the Californias, and military occupation 
of two of the enemy's most important seaports. '\ 

My ship now started on her long and tedious voyage home 
by way of Cape Horn, touching at Valparaiso. It was an 
uneventful voyage, and ended with our arrival at Boston in 
June, 1848. 

To the inmates of a cruising-ship, months, and even years, 
seem a short period in the retrospect, so few incidents occur 
by which to mark the time. One day is like another j and, 



148 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

while the dim vista of the future stretches vast before us, we 
wonder at the nothingness of the past as the sands of the 
present drop unnoticed away. Thousands of miles are trav- 
ersed, marked by scarcely a change in our habits of thought 
or action. We are conscious of no novelty save the variations 
of climate, by which we are alternately ^'scorched in the 
tropics, and frozen at the pole." 

After making Boston light with a southerly breeze, we 
were all thinking of a speedy arrival in harbor, and an early 
meeting with friends, when — presto! the wind changed, and 
flung a cloud over our bright anticipations. At midnight a 
north-east gale roared in fury ; and 

" A heavy sea ran mountains high, 
And drenched the toiling crew : 
I thought of home, I heaved a sigh; 
Our good ship — she heaves to." 

I cannot conclude this account of my first visit to California 
without recording my impressions of one spot, whose features will 
ever linger pleasantly in my memory. I have seen most parts 
of the habitable world ; and, as I now recall their respective 
beauties and advantages, I am forced to the conclusion, that in 
climate, fertility, and healthful conditions, three regions have 
been specially favored by Nature, — the Valley of Mexico, 
Eastern Syria, and Southern Alta California. At first thought, 
it may seem strange that, the claims of this last-named region 
have had so feeble recognition; but it should be remembered, 
that, thus far, California enterprise has demanded immediate 
results and has ignored all opportunities, however promising, 
that did not offer them. The resources of Southern Alta 
California have been lost sight of in the hot search for instant 
profit. This feverish haste in the race for wealth is now sub- 
siding ; and the eyes of practical calculating wisdom have 
been turned to this hitherto-neglected section of the State. 



KEEL AND SADDLE, 149 

Althougli the picture of San Diego, seen as I sailed into its 
harbor (the finest, except that of San Francisco, in California)^ 
is still vivid in my memory, 1 shall not attempt to reproduce 
it, or to give any detailed account of a place which has been 
so accurately described by Mr. Dana in " Two Years before the 
Mast ; " but the statement of a few facts touching the situation 
and material advantages of San Diego, toward which emigra- 
tion is now tending in considerable volume, may be of service 
to those who seek information about it as a field of commercial 
operations. 

San Diego is the seaport of Southern California. " It stands," 
in the language of E-ev. Walter Colton, in his book published 
in 1850, "on the border-line of Alta California, and opens 
upon a land-locked bay of surpassing beauty. The climate is 
soft and mild the year round, the sky brilliant, and the atmos- 
phere free of those mists which the cold currents throw on the 
northern coast : the sea-breeze cools the heat of summer ; and 
the great ocean herself modulates into the same temperature 
the rough airs of winter. . . . Before the eyes that fall on 
these pages are under death's shadow, San Diego will have 
become the queen of the south in California, encircled with 
vineyards and fields of golden grain, and gathering into her 
bosom the flowing commerce of the Colorado and Gila." 

This prophecy has not yet been verified ; but the realization 
of the visions is only delayed. At the present time San 
Diego contains thirty five hundred inhabitants, twenty to 
thirty stores, a fine flouring-mill, several churches, free schools, 
&c. Its population is unlike that of most California cities, 
being permanent, and possessing, in a remarkable degree, the 
culture of the Eastern States. The city is the natural commer- 
cial centre of a vast extent of country fertile and rich in min- 
erals, including all Southern California, Southern Nevada, 
Arizona, New Mexico, and Northern Mexico. On the comple- 
tion of the Transcontinental Bailway, — which is to be built via 

IS* 



150 KEEL AND SADDLE, 

Marshall, Tex., — San Diego, which will be its coast terminus, 
will become an important point of trans-shipment in the trade 
with China and Japan, and will compete not unsuccessfully 
with San Francisco for the commerce of the Orient. It is well 
known to mariners that vessels plying between Oriental ports 
and San Francisco invariably pass down the California coast 
till they reach or pass the thirty-second parallel, in order to 
avail themselves of the trade-winds. This practice virtually 
places San Diego between San Francisco and the Orient, and 
gives her an advantage over any northern port of several hun- 
dred miles of travel. 

In view of the unquestionable superiority of San Diego in 
geographical situation, agricultural and commercial resources, 
and climatic charms, and especially of the tide of emigration 
now tending thither, there is little hazard in adopting Mr. 
Colton's prediction, with a reasonable extension of the limits 
he fixed for its verification. 



XIX. 

A FEW months after my arrival in the United States I 
received orders from the navy department to proceed 
to California as government agent, for the protection of live- 
oak and other naval timber on the public lands in that 
Territory ; and sailed in a merchant-vessel for my destination 
via the Isthmus of Panama. Since my return home, gold had 
been discovered at Sutter's Fort on the Sacramento, and the 
tide of emigration had set in towards the new " Dorado," that, 
less than one year ago, had come under the rule of the United 
States. 

Landing at Chagres, I found that ancient and dilapidated 
seaport crowded with adventurers from New Orleans of all 
races and nations, insanely eager to reach the land of gold, in 
which they expected to reap an easy harvest. Since the time 
of Morgan and his bold buccaneers, the little seaport had never 
contained such a shaggy, unkempt, and reckless crowd of dare- 
devils as now occupied it. Every available "bungay," ba- 
teau, skiff, and canoe had been secured for the navigation of 
the river to Cruces ; and the boatmen were rejoicing in the 
sudden advance in the price of their services. Being able — 
unlike most of these emigrants — to speak Spanish, I soon 
procured the aid of two river-men, and a fine canoe with a 
toldo (awning), large enough for two persons to sleep under ; 
and, having put our luggage into her, prepared chocolate with a 
spirit-lamp of our own. En passantj let me recommend choco- 

151 



152 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

late prepared in tlie Spanish fashion, whenever it can be had 
at any price, as the best provant for all weary travellers. It 
contains within the smallest compass more nourishment than 
any other comestible. It restores the losses of the body, cor- 
rects the lassitude common to wayfarers, is agreeable to the 
palate, never palls, and is easily digested. It is also highly 
sedative in its effects. \ 

Our boatmen, with the propensity to procrastinate charac- 
teristic of their race and calling, left us on some slight excuse 
to return to the pulperias (grog-shops) of Chagres, having 
received an instalment of their promised compensation. Hav- 
ing finished our frugal meal, we lit our pipes, and were con- 
templating the dark river and the distant lights of the town 
(for it was now nightfall), when we were hailed from a canoe 
near our own. The speaker was a fellow-passenger from New 
York, bound to California, with a corps of butchers and meat- 
packers to exploit that peculiar industry, and \vell known as 
" Baron '^ Steinbergen. The baron was a jovial, handsome 
man, tall, stout, with a Kubens head and complexion. He 
spoke not a word of Spanish, and was consequently at the 
mercy of his boatmen. 

These fellows had fitted him to a hair's-breadth with a little 
dug-out, which might have served him admirably for a coffin, 
but which was not roomy enough for a boat, and in which he 
dared not turn himself over for fear of a capsize. Having 
thus secured him, the rascals had decamped, taking with them 
their paddles, — an unnecessary precaution; for the poor man 
could have made no use of them, nor even bestir himself suffi- 
ciently to get up the anchor by which the boat was moored. 

We lost no time in relieving our friend from his uncomforta- 
ble position; hauling his craft alongside our own, and refresh- 
ing his inner man. About midnight, our boatmen and the 
baron's returned, our friend unwillingly took possession of his 
fairy skiff, and we began our voyage up the dismal Chagres 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 153 

River. After two days and nights on this sluggish stream, 
amid almost incessant rain, the nights made hideous hy the 
drinking and gambling of our black crews, we at last reached 
Gorgona. Here the villains, landing our baggage, left us in 
the lurch, having been bribed by a party who came along just 
then to carry them to Cruces. In this miserable village I was 
compelled to remain a whole week, while the advancing wave 
of emigration swept by it in every description of floating craft ; 
several vessels having arrived at Chagres since our departure, 
crowded with passengers. 

Eager, excited, and with minds intent upon prospective 
nuggets, these poor fellows deemed no exertion too arduous, no 
expense too great, as the price of their speedy arrival in the 
gold regions. Most of them, unused to hardship, instead of 
wealth found disease and death (as I afterwards learned) in 
El Dorado. 

Every horse and mule in Gorgona had been employed to 
carry men or baggage to Panama ; and, unable to get away, I 
amused myself in shooting some of the game that abounded 
in the neighborhood. Many a duck of brilliant plumage, 
snowy ibis, gorgeous flamingo, chattering parrot, and fat 
chichalaka (tropical pheasant), went down before my gun : 
but I paid dearly for my sport ; for I awoke one morning with 
a pain in the back, a furred tongue, and aching head, and 
knew at once that the insidious isthmus fever was upon me. 
I instantly determined to start for Panama before the disease 
had wholly overpowered me ; for to be sick at Gorgona, with- 
out friends, medicines, or doctors, was certain death. So I sal- 
lied forth, took the road on foot, and, by great good luck, met 
an arriero returning, with two pack-mules, which I secured at 
once. 

We left Gorgona at mid-day, taking the rough bridle-path, 
which was a difficult scramble for the whole distance. The 
journey seemed to me a real Inferno, — the dark road through 



154 KEEL AND SADDLE, 

a dense tropical forest, the snakes, and monkeys gibbering at 
me from tbe gnarled trees and lianas. That night I spent in 
the hut of a poor woman on the edge of a prairie ; and the 
next day, being unable to sit upon my saddle> her two sons 
carried me in a rude litter to Panama. This poor woman 
knew that I had a large sum of money in gold, which she 
carefully guarded until all was ready, when she put it under 
my head, and, telling her sons to carry me gently, bade me 
God speed. This is not the only time, when, in countries 
called uncivilized, my life has been saved and my property 
secured by the influence of poor women : and I have there- 
fore gratefully put this fact on record ; for, under the like cir- 
cumstances in my own country, I should have been murdered 
without hesitation or remorse. I will add, that these disinter- 
ested poor women have invariably been pious Catholics. 

At Panama I fortunately encountered in the streets an ac- 
quaintance, Don Diego Feria ; and in the fine airy mansion of 
this good Samaritan I went through the various stages of the 
calentura of the isthmus, attended by the surgeon of a British 
ship-of-war. 

At last "The California," the first steamer of the line, 
arrived, and we who had tickets repaired on board. She was 
loaded to the guards with passengers, and sailed, leaving hun- 
dreds unable to get away. These last groped their way up the 
coast in all kinds of vessels ; one party of seven persons actu- 
ally starting for San Prancisco in a half-decked launch, and 
arriving at their destination in a hundred and thirty days, 
after encountering incredible hardships and dangers. 

We passed through the Golden Gate on the 28th February, 
1849 ; and, landing, I saw with astonishment the great change 
that had come over San Francisco. The little idle place I had 
left, with its three or four houses and some twenty-five inhab- 
itants, was now, by the potent power of gold, metamorphosed 
into a canvas city of several thousand people : the beach, where 



* » 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 155 

only the year before I had shot snipe and curlew, was thronged 
with immigrants from every part of the world ; and the har- 
bor, formerly only visited once a year by a trader in hides or 
an occasional whaler, was now crowded with merchantmen from 
every seaport in Europe, the United States, and South Amer- 
ica. Their cargoes had been landed and covered with sails, or 
were still on board in charge of the officers, the crews having 
deserted and gone to the mines. Lots were staked off, and 
had already reached fabulous sums ; and the thoroughfares 
were filled with a rough, armed, and unshorn crowd of fellows, 
who had returned with nuggets and dust from the '' placer." 

As I passed through a street between some shanties, I was 
hailed by an old shipmate of ^' The Portsmouth" sloop-of-war, 
who had been discharged on the coast before the ship sailed 
for home. With a beard that reached his waist, a sunburnt 
visage, and long hair over his shoulders, a red shirt, buckskin 
unmentionables, and a revolver stuck in his waistband, the 
trig, neat man-o'war's-man was not easily recognizable. Jack 
was now a millionnaire in his own estimation, and therefore on 
terms of complete social equality with his former officer. He 
turned up the corner of a sail that covered a lot of elegant 
furniture, piled in the street, the "venture" of some Eu- 
ropean merchant ; hauled out an elegant fauteuil of crimson 
velvet, respectfully forcing me into it ; and then crossed over 
to a shanty, whence he returned, bringing a whole basket of 
champagne. Ha then beheaded bottle after bottle, draining 
each in succession ; in which agreeable employment he was 
politely aided, upon invitation, by some thirty thirsty bystand- 
ers. Then, in the excess of his delight at meeting me, which 
he said no words could express, he successively demolished 
the bottles, the glasses, and the superb chair, by way of vent- 
ing his superfluous enthusiasm. Jack then drew forth a long 
buckskin purse filled with dust, and magnanimously paid the 



156 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

shot ; and we left tlie scene of his strange triumph under a 
salute of three cheers from his invited guests. 

This was but one of the rare sights of those days in San 
Erancisco- A few shrewd fellows who landed from " The 
California" without a dime, as they confessed to me on board 
^before leaving, became rich in twenty-four hours by purchas- 
ing town-lots or goods, and selling immediately to others at 
;an advance before consummating the first bargain. Every 
ibusiness negotiation was conducted on a cash basis of gold- 
;dust, no credit being allowed or demanded; and thus the 
game of speculation went on without promissory-notes, books, 
. or banks. Coined money was at a premium of fifty per cent ; 
;and loans of dust, by weight, at ten per cent per month on 
good security. To give an. adequate idea of the state of 
society, the wonderful vicissitudes of individuals, the tragical 
and the amusing incidents th^t frequently occurred, is a task 
to which my powers of description are unequal. 

Gen. P. F. Smith of the United-States army came out with 
;US to take command of the military department of the Pacific, 
; accompanied by some staff-officers, and Mrs. Smith, who had a 
i quite engaging Irish maid. Only two days after they had 
•landed, I called on Mrs. Smith, and found her in despair, her 
maid, her chief dependence and only domestic, having left 
her service. 

I expressed my regret that the promise of high wages should 
have induced the girl to abandon her allegiance to so deserv- 
ing a lady. 

" But, my dear sir," said Mrs. Smith, " it is not a question 
of wages that has separated us. Mary is cd gaged to be 
married to a gentleman of large fortune ; and the ceremony 
will be performed as soon as permitted by the rules of the 
church. 

There was nothing more to be said. 



KEEL AND SADDLE. I57 

^ Like the rest, I felt the necessity of being a laborer in this 
vineyard, in which none were idle, and, with Baron Stein- 
bergen and his "retainers," started for San Rafael, where we 
proposed to inaugurate measures for supplying provisions to 
the hungry crowd suddenly thrown upon these shores, instead 
of following the diggers to the mines. 

14 



XX. 



IN October, 1846, while in command of the military post of 
Sonoma, I purchased the estate of San Geronimo, consist- 
ing of two square leagues (dos sitios de ganada mayor), 
about five miles from the old mission of San Kafael, in what 
is now called Marin County. 

The Canada (hollow, or vale) of San Geronimo is one of 
the loveliest valleys in California, shut in by lofty hills, the 
sides of which are covered with red-wood forests, and pines of 
several kinds, and interspersed with many flowering trees and 
shrubs peculiar to the country. Through it flows a copious 
stream, fed by the mountain-brooks ; and the soil in the bottom- 
lands is so prolific, that a hundred bushels of wheat to the 
acre can be raised with the rudest cultivation, and other crops 
in corresponding abundance. 

While hunting elk in that neighborhood, I had come upon 
this beautiful valley, and determined to possess it, if possible ; 
and in due time I acquired the property, and stocked it with 
horned cattle and mares in the usual fashion of making a 
settlement in California. 

In my absence the cattle had increased to about five hun- 
dred head of animals of all kinds, which roamed at will in a 
state of nature over my domain, the mayor-domo engaged 
to take charge of them having left the place, and gone off to 
the bonanza (corruption of abundancia), a few months before 
my arrival. 

168 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 159 

I laid in a stock of tools, farming-utensils, &c., and arrived 
at the mission of San Rafael, where I was hospitably received 
by my old friend — mentioned in the " Tour of Duty " — 
Don Timoteo Murphy. Here we sojourned for several weeks ; 
but, finding it impossible to engage in any regular pursuit in 
consequence of the unsettled state of the country, I concluded 
to follow the current setting towards the " placer." A party 
was formed of my neighbors the rancheros, who, with their 
Indian servants and vaqueros, made a company of some thirty 
persons. We had a caballada (herd of horses) of a hundred 
head, and drove with us over two hundred head of beef cattle, 
collected from the herds that ranged over our lands, whch we 
intended to sell in the mining country. 

The cattle, being perfectly wild, were always driven on the 
full run, so that a day's drive was quite wearisome ; the cattle 
seizing every opportunity to escape, bolting suddenly from the 
column in order to return to their acarencias (grazing- 
grounds). At the end of each day's march, or run, we were 
all too happy to rest, to wash if possible, and to cook and 
eat our suppers of beef, often without bread or salt; such 
was the scarcity of articles usually considered necessaries, but 
which we should have ranked among luxuries. Before dawn we 
were astir, after passing the night on the hard ground, with 
nothing between us and it save our saddle-leathers, the saddle- 
trees being our pillows, and serapes (blankets) our only cover- 
ing: then, after a hurried breakfast of beef, we collected 
the scattered herd, and began another day's hot and dusty 
ride. 

Good pasture-fed California beef broiled on the coals of a 
wood-fire, with plenty of spring-water, was our diet; and 
very good fare it was. My health was never better, my physi- 
cal powers never greater, than when I was a ranchero in that 
glorious country. Constant exercise, and sleeping in the open 
air, — no hardship in that pure, dry atmosphere, — hardened 



160 KEEL AND SADDLE, 

my body, invigorated my constitution, and induced an eleva- 
tion of spirits, and confidence in my ability to endure pri- 
vation, that I have never felt before or since. I would 
recommend sucli a course of training to an invalid as better 
than all the nostrums of the faculty. 

Arriving at the dry diggings, our party separated ; and for 
two months we "prospected" in the vicinity, changing our 
ground as we saw a chance to dig, trade cattle, swap horses, or 
to barter our little stock of goods for " dust." I also made a 
trip in a dug-out to San Francisco on account of partners and 
self, and returned in a larger boat to our camp on Feather 
E,iver, laden with dry-goods, groceries, crockery, and hardware. 
We sold all off at enormous prices, — butcher-knives fetching 
twenty dollars apiece, common iron spoons five dollars, and 
ordinary wash-bowls and meaner vessels fifteen dollars. La- 
bor was so high in the diggings, that it was difficult to com- 
pute its value. Some Mexicans, encamped near us, paid their 
camp-keeper a hundred dollars per day for his services and 
for cooking ; and, even at that price, they were most unwillingly 
rendered. These fellows averaged much more than that sum 
daily in digging and picking up nuggets, or occasionally wash- 
ing the dirt of the gulches. 

I sold all the flour I brought up, which came from Chili, in 
bags of four arrobas (twenty-five pounds to the arroba), at 
a hundred dollars the sack. Several dozens of common 
calico shirts, bought for the use of our company, were snapped 
at twenty dollars each, unwashed, after my partners had worn 
them for a week ; and a digger taking a fancy to my Mexican 
spurs, worth about three dollars, did not think them dear at 
twenty-five. Gold was then found everywhere, — on the sur- 
face, in the clefts and hollows of rocks, in the brooks, and upon 
and beneath the soil. 

All nations were represented in the Sacramento dry dig- 
gings; but the luckiest miners were always the Mexicans 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 161 

and South- Americans. They possesed all the qualities which 
insure success, — skill in prospecting, quick eyes for gold- 
bearing formations, rapidity in extracting or washing the 
auriferous earth, and great industry and patience, — although 
lazy, and indeed useless in other employments. Honesty per- 
vaded the little community ; for the Botany-hay men had not 
yet arrived in California. 

After a stay of several weeks, we returned to our homes, 
bearing with us the fruits of our industry ; and I set to work 
at San Geronimo with about a score of Indians ; and having 
scratched up with the rude ploughs of the country about 
fifteen acres of ground, and enclosed it with a brush fence, I 
set out for San Francisco to procure seed for planting. 

Many vessels had arrived since my last visit ; and the cry 
was, " Still they come." Their crews would scarcely wait long 
enough to furl sails after their arrival, so impatient were they 
to leave for the diggings. Most of these ships had brought 
over emigrants from Europe, in a sorry plight after their long 
voyage. Among them were young and energetic men, some 
hopeful, others sad and despairing ; old men and women, who 
had followed those they loved to this distant land, only to lay 
their bones in it ; mothers, accompanying their children to an 
unknown destiny; and all expecting to reap in California the 
harvest denied to them at home. Let Europeans say what 
they please of our country : to a great part of their popu- 
lation it is a paradise. In Europe all cannot have bread 
and work. Their governments and social constitutions leave 
them to suifer in silence; and their more fortunate fellows 
give them nothing but advice, — to be resigned. They are 
like pegs driven into the ground, and must be content to 
occupy the same places in the social organization from birth 
till death. Of course all do not find America the land of 
promise they expected ; but they may have land and liberty, 
and that is aU the Almighty gave Adam and Eve. It is 

14* 



162 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

then^ for them, a paradise. The emigrant comes to America, 
and is received with an affectation of generosity : but it can- 
not be denied, that, in giving this vrelcome, we obey our own 
interest quite as much as the dictates of charity; and our 
reception of him is not unmixed with ostentation. 

After all, we are parvenus ; good, without being tender or 
polished. We distribute to the emigrant tools and seeds ; ap- 
portion to him, with a significant gesture, a portion of the 
soil ; and go about our affairs, saying to him in effect, ^^ Here 
you are; fix yourself; I am busy." Thus those who receive 
this curt hospitality are not oppressed with a load of obliga- 
tion : they work, take root, and are soon occupied in conquer- 
ing a position for themselves, and seeking rights denied them 
elsewhere. They are not mendicants gratefully obliged, but 
poor men who become citizens. 

Among the ships in the harbor, I found an old friend of 
other days in command of a brig from Honolulu, sitting in 
solitary state in his cabin, his crew having left him. From 
him I obtained a few barrels of potatoes which he had among 
his stores, — poor and small, it is true, but the only ones to be 
had ; and, with this prize seed, I returned to San Geronimo, 
where I planted the precious seed in the enclosure. 

I then left the place in charge of my Indian servants, 
and addressed myself to the duties of my office as timber- 
inspector. 

In the intervals of these duties I piloted several vessels up 
the Sacramento River, among which was a bark from Peru, 
with a company of miners on board, organized at an immense 
expense, and with whom I remained for several weeks. 

While these Peruvians were working in the diggings, I 
observed that they consumed much less provisions than other 
miners, while doing the same amount of work, or even more ; 
and that they also seemed better able to endure exposure to 
the heat of the sun and the dews of night. Asking their 



KEEL AND SADDLE, 163 

director, a German, the reason of this, I was told that it was 
owing to the use of " coca," an herb indigenous to Peru. 
They had brought the coca with them, — dried, olive-shaped 
leaves, of a dark-green color, and packed in sacks of matting 
of about an arroba (twenty-five pounds) each. Each miner 
had a small leather pouch for coca, and a small gourd filled 
with pulverized lime. Three or four times daily they sus- 
pended their labors to masticate coca in the following manner : — 

First they selected the leaves, and carefully removed the 
stalks, which they threw away. They then rolled the leaves 
into a small ball, or quid, called an acullico^ which they placed 
in the mouth ; and thrusting a little stick into the gourd of 
lime, its end being moistened, they drew it out, and punched 
the acullico repeatedly with it. The lime soon mixed with 
the coca in the process of mastication, and caused an abundant 
flow of saliva, which was partly expectorated, and partly swal- 
lowed. The strength of the quid having been exhausted, it 
was thrown away, and a fresh one substituted. The coca is 
prepared and used like the betel-nut of the Malays ; but, unlike 
it, it does not stain the teeth black. I found, upon trial, that 
coca has a pleasant, aromatic flavor something like tea-leaves ; 
but my lips and gums were somewhat cauterized by the 
lime. The average consumption by these miners was said to 
be from one to one ounce and a half daily. 

When excessively used, coca is said to cause a bad breath, 
to color the gums, and to make the lips pallid. Sugar is some- 
times used with the acullico. The inveterate coquero (coca- 
eater) finds it difficult to abandon the habit when once acquired, 
and returns to it frequently after successive discontinuances 
like the confirmed opium-eater. Thus parties of coqueros 
often meet clandestinely in Peru to enjoy their peculiar dissi- 
pation. Coca is raised and cured in the mountainous districts of 
Peru on the flanks of the Cordillera, whence it is sent to other 
parts of the country. It is prophylactic, and slightly aperient ; 



164 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

and an infusion of its leaves makes an agreeable and strength- 
ening drink. The price in Lima is about an ounce (sixteen 
dollars) the arroba. 

The moderate coquero goes through much toil with apparent 
ease, and, as I have already said, consumes much less food 
than those who do not use coca. I have been told wonderful 
things by military officers serving in Peru, — of long marches 
made by the soldiers of that country using coca on quarter 
rations. No doubt this plant, so little known to other nations, 
is one of Nature's inestimable blessings ; for, like others of her 
gifts, it is not detrimental except when abused. It supports 
the bodily strength, prevents muscular waste, and is said to 
make one gay in spirits and long-winded. 

My attention was drawn to one of the miners mentioned 
above, named Pedro Beltran. I knew this man to labor hard 
at ^'panning" dirt for a whole week on one scanty meal 
of flour-cakes daily ; and he slept only two or three hours at 
night. He need not have worked so hard ; but he told me 
that he came to the bonanza to get money, and in the short- 
est possible time. He made, that week, a little over eleven 
hundred dollars, half of which went to the company by the 
terms of his contract. The week after, he accompanied the 
director and myself on foot on a prospecting tour lasting three 
days, easily keeping up with our horses, although we travelled 
at least thirty miles a day. He returned, seemingly not at 
all fatigued by his long march, and resumed his labors. 

I left him in the diggings working hard as ever "on his 
own hook ; " for this company, like all the rest, soon broke up, 
and Pedro went vigorously to washing gold-earth, stopping 
only for his chaccar (quid, or chew). He was sixty years old, 
and told me he had never been ill in his life. He was married, 
and his wife had reared a family of eight sons and five daugh- 
ters. 



XXI. 

MY crops turned out beyond my most sanguine expecta- 
tions ; and I had the satisfaction of reaping a splendid 
harvest, which was disposed of at high prices. Agriculture, 
even the grazing interest, at that time the leading one of Cali- 
fornia, had been entirely lost sight of, the whole population 
having been busily engaged in securing the dazzling dust and 
nuggets ; and food of all kinds was held at enormous prices. 

Every article of breadstuffs was brought from abroad, while 
the emigration of 1849 probablj^ amounted to a hundred 
thousand persons. The small seed-potatoes, not larger thau a 
walnut, which I planted, produced at least twenty-fold ; and the 
improvement in quality over the seed was really wonderful. 
The virgin soil, of pure vegetable humus, so nourished and 
stimulated their growth, that I had several hundred bushels 
of potatoes in the crop, each of which weighed ten pounds 
avoirdupois, or over ; and the average of the rest would not 
fall below a pound. The sale of this crop at one real 
(twelve and a half cents) per pound, which was the market 
price, fully repaid the expense and trouble of planting. 

San Francisco had become a city of some forty thousand 
people, and was the business centre of the rising State. With 
the increase of population, the irregular placer-mining became 
obsolete, or practised by those only for whom its adventurous 
character had a peculiar charm ; while rude machinery, dams, 

165 



166 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

conduits, canals, and sluice-ways, began to be constructed in 
the mining regions. 

Certain branches of industry, indispensable to the new state 
of things and to the development of the country, were ex- 
ploited ; and saw-mills, lime and brick kilns, and stone-quar- 
ries, were established at favorable points ; while with the 
acquisition of wealth came the desire of enjoyment and com- 
fort : fine houses were built, and mechanics of all kinds found 
employment at high wages. The bonanza no longer absorbed 
all the laborers, many of whom, indeed, from choice, abandoned 
the search for gold, tired of the exposures, hardships, and self- 
denial which attended it. 

The proverbial adaptation of the Yankee to every condition 
of life was illustrated on every side ; but foreigners were not 
behind him in bettering their fortunes in the new cities 
springing up all over the country. Meanwhile, keeping pace 
with the emigration from beyond the seas, a hardy though 
rude population flocked into California from our Western 
States, and, spreading themselves over the country in the 
rural districts, settled down on "squatted" or purchased 
farms, and set manfully to work to plough and sow. 

The industrious and orderly, however, did not constitute the 
only addition to the population ; for, following the law of civili- 
zation, in their train came those who seem born only to prey 
upon their fellows : and as " where the carcass is, there will 
the eagles be gathered," Kew York sent out its "roughs," 
and Australia its "ticket-of- leave men;" and desperadoes of 
all kinds, finding a congenial field for their operations, effected 
a regular organization, with ramifications all over the State. A 
little later the people were aroused from their apathetic toler- 
ance of these villains, who corrupted the very source and foun- 
tains of justice ; and that sharp cure, the vigilance committees, 
took them in charge with excellent results. The original sim- 
plicity of California, as it was when we took military posses- 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 167 

sion, its patriarchal institutions and benevolent customs, as I 
have endeavored to portray them in the " Tour of Duty/' had 
all vanished forever. 

At the end of the rainy season, and the advent of the de- 
lightful California spring, my little party of neighbors again 
visited the mining regions, finding every thing changed in the 
operations, which were now carried on in the neighborhood of 
the water-courses. What I saw was hardly calculated to give 
one an elevated idea of human nature. These scenes were at 
once curious and sad to a thoughtful student of human nature. 
I had been among tribes of barbarians, and on the islands of 
the Pacific peopled with naked savages ; but here I found that 
man is more of a savage when he has once lived in a civilized 
condition, and retrogresses, than when born in barbarism. The 
denizens of the mining region were indeed clothed, poorly 
enough to be sure, but with some regard to decency; but, 
morally, they were utterly naked. The robes of hypocrisy 
which clothe humanity elsewhere were thrown aside, and nei- 
ther virtue nor modesty had any respect. "These seekers after 
gold," thought I, " are in a hurry : they have no time to lose, and, 
casting off all restraint, return to natural brutality. California 
is to them a sort of chrysalis, from which they expect to emerge 
furnished with new and gorgeous wings. It is a neutral ground; 
and they arrive here from an obscure past, in order to wrest from 
it the elements of a purifying future." 

" Auri sacra fames," I said, passing near a group earnestly 
engaged with tin pan and "long torn " washing the auriferous 
dirt. A young man looked up from his pan knowingly, but 
without quitting his occupation. " Sir," said he, with a touch 
of irony in his tone, "' you will gain little here by selling quo- 
tations. Had it been possible to live by such a trade, I should 
not now be here ; for I have studied the ^ humanities,' carried 
off prizes, and learned by rote all that has been said against 
money-getting. , Had I time, I would answer you with Seneca ; 



168 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

but we will adjourn that pleasure until we meet in New York. 
In reply to your tliree words of Virgil, I will answer you 
with Ovid, ^ Effodiuntur opes, irritamenta malorum : ' I will 
then lie back in my chair, and cry with Catullus, ^ Me mea 
paupertas ; ' with Horace, ^ Aurea mediocritas ; ' and with 
Juvenal, ^ Obscena pecunia.' Now, my dear sir, I am too 
poor to console myself with such trifles. ^Non in pane solo 
vivit homo/ says the Scripture in our vulgate. And it is 
true : dry bread is insipid. The meagre fortune I possessed 
did not permit me to add to my daily crust the good wines and 
succulent meats I coveted, as many horses as I liked to use, 
and the sum of love necessary to my existence : so I came 
here courageously to increase my resources. Should Fortune 
not smile upon me, I will step into some druggist's shop, and 
choose among the infernal distillations of death a remedy for 
all ills.'^ 

^' My dear sir," said I, " my little remark, or quotation, was 
made without allusion to yourself or any individual ; and I am 
sorry to have offended you." 

^' Oh ! no offence, sir, in the least," he returned : '^your ex- 
clamation produced a slight irritation ; that is all." 

A shade of melancholy here passed over the young man's 
face, replacing the feverish gayety with which he had just 
spoken. 

" Here," said he, offering me a small nugget : " put that on 
your vest-chain. When you look at it, you will call to mind a 
poor devil you met in the placer, who knew Latin, and who 
was unhappy. After all," said the young man cheerfully, 
"Juvenal is the only one who has the right expression, — 
'■ Obscena pecunia.' " 

Being interested in the youth, and inclined to serve him, I 
proposed to him, on leaving the placer, that he should accom- 
pany me. 

"Thanks," said he. "But what would you do with me? 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 169 

You cannot give me twenty thousand a year, can you? I 
will not accept a humble position : and I have only one card 
left to play ; that is myself. I will wait for the smiles of For- 
tune. For those I brave fevers, Indian arrows, Yankee bowie- 
knives, cholera, and wild beasts. Apparently you have enough 
and to spare ; and you had better leave this. You excite jeal- 
ousy and anger among us ; you are independent and happy ; 
your presence here is a reflection upon us all ; and it will be an 
act of charity on your part to disappear. Curiosity is abuse 
for the prisoners one visits in a jail ; and we are the convicts, 
sent here by an unknown code. We undergo our punishment 
in this limbo, from which few escape alive. Depart, then ! Is 
it such a fine spectacle to see men dispute each other's right to 
a few square yards of soil impregnated with yellow dust ? to 
see them murder each other for a look ? to refuse the water 
that cleanses, the adieu which consoles, the tomb even, which, 
perchance, is denied them after death? Here the corpses are 
left to rot on the surface. Digging is to take out gold ; but to 
dig a grave would seem sacrilege. We dig, we play, we die. 
The expense of supporting life follows the same progression as 
other expenses. A poor laborer may earn here twenty dollars 
a day ; and the pulsations of our arteries are multiplied in 
unison. Time passes not for us as for you. You are more 
than a stranger to us : in fact, you are a monster. 

" Go, then, sir ! Were you a doctor, now, you might serve us ; 
for any chance barber coming this way visits the sick at an 
ounce of gold a visit. Even then he wearies out Nature 
by his treatment. Ah, sir ! you have, somewhere, a patri- 
mony, a family : go and find them again. I will not advise 
you to keep your fortune ; for, should I find one, I shall prob- 
ably spend it all in a few years. I merely say that you had 
better return to civilized lands ; to a happy country, in which 
men are still men ; where the heart may complain of suffering, 
and where all you have to combat is civilized egotism. 

15 



170 KEEL AND SADDLE, 

Adieu ! " said my philosopher with a smile, " -^ternumque 
vale." 

Beturning to our rauchos with a fair share of profits in the 
autumn, we began the usual routine of work, holding a herra- 
dura (branding cattle) every week in succession on the 
different ranches in accordance with the custom, and with the 
not as yet obsolete laws of the Tnesta. Crops of vegetables 
were not as remunerative as the year before, so many culti- 
vators having entered the field, tempted by the high prices ; 
and the business was overdone. 

I built a new house on my place, and projected other im- 
provements ; and my neighbors, stimulated at last to enterprise 
in that direction, began to bestir themselves. But we were 
all annoyed by the incursions of the ^' Gentiles," — as the wild 
Indians are called in contradistinction to the " Christians," or 
tame Indians, — who came stealthily upon our lands to steal 
horses. The rogues always selected these animals, as they 
could run them in a single night beyond all possible successful 
pursuit. 

At last, in self-defence, we organized an expedition to sup- 
press these frays, and at the same time to indemnify ourselves, 
by securing some of these "Gentiles," intending to keep them 
as hostages, and to use them, meanwhile, as laborers. A coun- 
cil of rancheros was accordingly summoned at the " Baulinas," 
— a rancho on the sea-coast belonging to Don Juan Briones, — 
at which I assisted with several others ; and a plan of operation 
was formed. 



XXII. 



FIVE ranch eros, each with five to ten Indian vaqueros, 
assembled at the rendezvous at the appointed time with 
a cahallada of some fifty excellent horses. The tame or Chris- 
tian Indians enter into the spirit of these razzias with great 
zest, and take keen delight in entrapping their wild relatives. 
At the tr}^ sting-place Don Jose Armenteros was unanimously- 
chosen leader of our party, whom we were to obey until the 
termination of the expedition. He was the major-domo of 
the ranchero Rafael Garcia, and noted as the best rider, the most 
skilful riatero (thrower of the lasso), and the most accom- 
plished in all the sports of the campo : he had also the advan- 
tage of experience in similar expeditions. At the rendezvous 
we began preparations for the expedition by a grand feast on 
the supplies brought or sent there by the provident wives of 
the raucheros, consuming all our stores in one night ; and then, 
like Herman Cortes after he had burnt his ships, we were ready 
to push into the wild regions before us, unencumbered with 
whiskey or other groceries, and depending solely on the rifle 
or the riata, for our subsistence. We carried with us a few 
trinkets for trading. 

At daylight we rose from the ground, and, taking a northerly 
route, set forth into the wilderness at full gallop, the cahallada 
in advance, with all the vaqueros, headed by Armenteros. En- 
camping in the woods north of Bodega the first night, we re- 
sumed the march at early dawn, and rode all day through a 

171 



172 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

beautiful and fertile country, more like a gentleman's park 
than a primeval forest. The trees were superb, the Falo Colo- 
rado (red wood), a kind of cedar; Wellingtonia gigantea, 
coeval possibly with the Deluge ; the pinahete (a pine of great 
size, hard and tough as oak) ; the madron, an orange-colored 
wood, laurels, and bays, mixed with live-oak, alamos, and ala- 
■mitos (poplars) ; while the red berries of the inansanito, gleam- 
ing in the undergrowth, formed a picture of arboreal splendor 
nowhere else to be seen. 

Now we ascended the spur of some mountain-range command- 
ing a view of the sea on our left ; then plunged into a dense 
forest; and anon crossed a broad and smiling savanna, enam- 
elled with beautiful flowers of every hue and delightful per- 
fume, romero (rosemary) being in great abundance. There 
shone the lily of the vallej^, poppies, and tulips of every tint, the 
aromatic anise-seed, the butterfly-flower, which is indigenous, 
dancing on its long stem, an almost perfect counterpart of the 
insect from which it takes its name ; here the humble canchala- 
gua, a febrifuge, and the yerha del tos, a specific for pulmon- 
ary and catarrhal complaints. 

We killed a deer in the afternoon ; and, while selecting a 
place for a bivouac, Armenteros lassoed a bear, on the savory 
paws of which, a bonne bouche with hunters, we supped 
heartily. 

We were now in the Gentile country : so the next morning 
a place of security for our caballada, abounding in grass and 
water, was selected on a point of land projecting into the sea ; 
and old Juan Briones, with two vaqueros, left to guard the 
neck which connected it with the mainland. The rest of our 
party continued their route. 

Don Pepe, as Senor Armenteros was called, was now in his 
element, and recounted many anecdotes of former raids. He 
^ed our small but well-armed and mounted party in an easterly 
direction until about noon, when we halted in a dense wood ; 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 173 

and he set out with one man, my Antonio, whom he selected 
for his intelligence and courage, to seek an Indian village or 
rancheria. Meanwhile we picketed our horses, and beguiled 
the time with smoking and monte (Spanish game of cards). 

At daylight Don Pepe and Antonio returned with an ally 
in the person of a naked Indian, with shaggy, unkempt hair, 
and a horrible squint. This worthy bore a wooden bow inge- 
niously strengthened on the back with deer-sinews; and under 
his arm, as the Devil in the song is said to have carried his tail, 
he carried a quiver made of the skin of a cub bear, filled with 
arrows tipped with obsidian, or volcanic glass, which abounds 
here. 

Don Pepe introduced his new ally as an old acquaint- 
ance ; and we returned with him to his rancheria, he being, 
according to our chief, iniiy bravo, and crafty as brave. We 
found the rancheria in a valley near the sea, which was not 
visible from our bivouac, but which we could distinctly smell, 
in a most ancient and fish-like odor. Not wishing to share 
the lodges of this untutored and unsavory race, we remained 
in a grove on the outskirts of the village ; the Indians con- 
tributing to our frugal evening meal some excellent salmon, 
and melons from their milpa (garden). 

Next morning we collected a few beads and light goods, 
and invited the men to visit our camp : ladies are not allowed 
that privilege among the Gentiles. 

The eyes of the strabismic unfortunate grew more fixed 
to the tip of his nose than ever at sight of our wonder- 
ful treasures ; and I feared they would " shoot madly from 
their spheres," so distended were they in admiration of the 
many-colored beads, great needles, awls, mirrors, and knives 
displayed in our camp. Encouraged by the cupidity of our 
visitors, our spokesman began cautiously to approach the sub- 
ject of our mission into their country ; but he found the wary 
Gentiles better diplomatists than he imagined. 

15* 



174 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

Eor two mortal hours the keen encounter of wits endured. 
Don Pepe endeavored to induce the Indians to send men 
from their rancheria to accompany us home, promising them 
good cheer in plenty and a generous reward. But all his elo- 
quence was in vain : so we broke up the conference, and prepared 
to pass the day in quiet by ourselves, consulting about future 
movements, cleaning our arms, and recruiting our horses. In 
the afternoon we were called upon by our cross-eyed friend 
and another chief, and informed that we should have their 
assistance in getting all the help we wanted, if we would be 
guided by their advice, and grant their exorbitant demands. 
It was plain that a council had been held, and that our allies 
wanted to get rid of us, after obtaining certain articles they 
coveted, especially fish-hooks, at thff sight of which in the 
forenoon they had greatly marvelled, never before having 
seen steel or iron hooks. They also feared that we should 
forcibly compel them to famish the help we asked for : so, 
like skilful diplomatists, they resolved to divert our military 
prowess from themselves to their enemies. Accordingly an 
harangue was addressed to Don Pepe, who understood the 
Indian language, abounding in gestures and gutturals ; which 
he was desired to expound to us in good Castilian. 

The whole story was to the effect that our hosts (as they 
might have been termed) were a much-abused and long-suf- 
fering people, honest and above horse-stealing ; while a neigh- 
boring community some ten leagues away were vile oppressors 
and bloody-minded villains, horse-thieves by profession, whom 
it would be both just and creditable to capture and enslave, in 
which laudable enterprise they would cheerfully aid us. 
While still deliberating, our conference was suddenly broken 
off by the appearance of Juan Briones and his vaqueros, who 
brought the astounding intelligence that our whole caballada 
had been stampeded and carried off by unknown Indians. 
Briones himself and a vaquero were wounded by arrows j and 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 175 > 

the other boy dragged along at the end of his lasso an Indian 
of dogged and sullen aspect. 

While we were listening to the story of Briones, one of our 
servants came up, and told us that every Indian in the 
rancheria hard by had vanished. As these Indians instantly 
kill and eat their stolen horses on reaching a place of secu- 
rity, our indignation was at once aroused ; and we prepared 
to follow the trail, and rescue our caballada of over forty 
fine, well-trained steeds, amongst which were many especial 
pets of every individual of our party. Rafael Garcia particu- 
larly lamented a gallant pinto (spotted horse), threatening to 
cut his pedazos (morsels) out of the ugl}?" maw of any Gentile 
who had eaten him ; and all our party of rancheros imagined 
their noble steeds cut, slashed, and carbonadoed to make a 
banquet for thieving and graceless heathens. 

Luckily Don Pepe had secured the persons of the two 
chiefs, at Briones' first intimation of our loss, before they 
could escape ; and instant death was now denounced upon them 
if our horses were not recovered by the morning's light. 
Making a virtue of necessity, these worthies communicated 
with their subordinates, who had taken refuge in the inacces- 
sible undergrowth hard by, and collected a party of twenty 
braves of their rancheria, armed with clubs, wooden spears, 
and bows and arrows. The big chief was lashed securely to a 
vaquero of our party as a hostage; and the whole party 
started for the hills. 

We soon struck the trail of our horses ; and it was so broad 
and plain, that we pursued it at full speed, our Indian allies 
stopping occasionally to verify it, while the moon shone 
in unclouded brilliancy after the short twilight had passed 
away. Don Pepe rode far ahead of the main body with his 
vaqueros, keeping a sharp lookout on the Indian runners, 
who out-travelled our horses, and seemed to enjoy the sport 
of tracking their fellow-men and brothers quite as well as we 



176 KBEL AND SADDLE. 

did. I have often observed this peculiarity among savages 
when backed by whites. 

About midnight we noticed that the hoof-tracks were 
quite fresh in the moist ground, ana by other signs we knew 
we were not far in the rear of our caballada and their ab- 
ductors. We now relaxed our speed, and proceeded cau- 
tiously, in order not to alarm the Indian camp, upon which 
we might come at any moment. At last it was reported 
near at hand ; and we dismounted, leaving our horses under 
charge of our vaqueros, while we silently and stealthily ap- 
proached the village on foot. 

The little rancheria of lodges built of slender sticks, wat- 
tled with grass and mud, huddled around the usual temascal 
(sweat-house), indispensable in every place of the kind, lay in 
the gorge of a canon (gulley) ; while the hills rose steep 
around it on every side, save that by which we approached. 

No sound broke the solemn stillness of the night, and the 
whole scene was brightly illuminated by the moon and twinkling 
stars. 

These Indians had no domestic animals whatever, not even 
dogs ; which lack accounted for the silence, which remained 
unbroken, until, on a nearer approach, we heard the stamping 
of our captured horses from a rude corral near the sweat-house. 
Don Pepe instantly formed his plan. We withdrew again to 
our cover, each of us being assigned his place. The plan was 
explained to the Indians, the main body of whom, led by Don 
Pepe, making a detour round the village, climbed the hillside, 
and took up a position at the head of the canon in order to 
cut oif the retreat of men and horses to the hills. The rest 
of us were to attack in front on signal from our leader, and 
simultaneously with his party. 

At two o'clock the moon had set, and the village was but 
faintly illuminated by the stars ; when a group of Indians, 
asleep until then, aroused themselves under our very eyes from 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 177 

their first nap, and gathered around a fire, whose embers thej 
raked into activity, and began cooking, eating, and gambling, 
often wrangling with each other as they tossed the bones. 
We could even smell the savory horsemeat as it spluttered on 
the coals ; and Eafael Garcia felt a bitter pang at the reflec- 
tion that it might be a part of his inestimable pinto, for which 
he had refused five hundred dollars. 

We waited in silence for an hour or more, until the first 
faint, gray streaks of dawn appeared in the east; when the 
Indians of the rancheria gradually ceased from gambling, and 
sank again in sleep. 

The gray tints now became ashes-of-rose color, and the radi- 
ance of the stars was slightly dimmed, when from the head 
of the canon came the cry of the coyote — the small wolf of 
the country — thrice repeated. This was the signal for 
mounting before the onset. 

We all bestrode our horses, and a few minutes passed in 
breathless expectation : then, from the same quarter, came the 
old Spanish war-cry " Santiago " from the deep chest of Don 
Pepe Armenteros, followed by the shrill war-whoop of our 
Indian allies. This ancient war-cry is still used by the de- 
scendants of those heroes from whose lips it aroused the echoes 
of many a bloody field in bygone ages. It was the signal for 
the charge of mail-clad knights against Moor and Saracen, 
against Mexican and Peruvian, in later times ; and now we 
heard repeated in these untrodden wilds the battle-cry of the 
Cid, of Ferdinand of Aragon, of Gonsalvo de Cordova, Don 
John of Austria, Pizarro, Cortes, and Almagro, — " Santiago 
y cierra Espana" ('^Santiago and close Spain"). 

We instantly moved up, and, intervening between the fire 
and the corral, stood guard to prevent the horse-thieves from 
stampeding our imprisoned animals, to which they instinctively 
rushed when aroused from their sleep. The Indian horde, thus 
meeting our levelled fire-arms and lances, faced instantly in the 



178 KEEL AND SADDLE, 

opposite direction, but were intercepted by our leader and his 
party, and turned again on us, using war-clubs, spears, and 
bows, while a crowd of squaws in their rear hurled stones and 
sticks at us over their heads. 

The melee became general, and shot after shot was heard ; 
while sabres, lances, and fire-arms met the ruder Indian weap- 
ons in a hand-to-hand conflict. Some of the Indians, diving 
under the bellies of our horses, succeeded in breaking down the 
corral ; but our vaqueros secured the breach before the animals 
could escape, and the enterprise was not renewed. The con- 
test ceased at last, the Indians sulkily retiring out of harm's 
way when convinced that they had no chance of success; 
and their head men sullenly informed us that they wanted 
peace. 

It was granted as soon as asked for : our object was at- 
tained ; and we recovered all the horses, save one that had been 
devoured, without the loss of a man, although most of our 
party were badly bruised by the shillelahs of the Indians, and 
several received arrow and spear wounds. 

Fortunately these horse cannibals had selected for their 
feast an animal more fit for eating than for his other quali- 
ties. 

We now prepared to inspect and adjudge the spolia opima 
of our vanquished foe ; but there being but little materielj and 
that little having been appropriated by our Indian allies in 
their way, we hesitated not to seize the personnel we had 
legitimately acquired, according to the notions prevalent at 
that time in California. The prisoners thus pressed into our 
service were divided equally among our party, submitting 
resignedly and even joyfully to their fate : they selected those 
of their squaws and children whom they wished to accompany 
them ; and we all left for home, after rewarding our Indian 
allies. Arriving at our respective ranchos, our captives were 
soon domiciled, and supplied with fall rations of beef j and, hay- 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 179 

ing finished their task of making adobes (sun-dried bricks) for 
building-purposes, they were permitted to depart, laden with 
good shirts and blankets. 

Two of the " bucks " remained with me, preferring good liv- 
ing and kind treatment to their precarious, half-starved condi- 
tion in their native wilds ; and, from savage and graceless 
" Gentiles," were converted into decent and respectable " Chris- 
tianos." 

I remained at San Geronimo, attending to my duties both 
public and private ; but, near the end of the year 1849, I re- 
signed my commission as lieutenant in the United-States 
navy, hopeless of promotion after twenty years of service, yet 
reluctant to abandon my profession. 



XXIII. 

AMOITGr my guests at San Geronimo during tHis rainy- 
season was one Sandy (or Alexander) McGregor, a 
Kentuckian born of Scotch parents ; and, large as has been 
my acquaintance with mankind, really the most remarkable 
man I ever met, albeit utterly unknown to fame. 

The most gifted persons, I have long ago ascertained, are by 
no means the most celebrated or notorious ; and I have known 
several instances of those in the humbler walks of life, of the 
finest natural ability, and even of deep erudition, who have 
never aspired to rise in the social scale by means of their tal- 
ents or learning, improbable as this may seem, 

Of this sort was Sandy McGregor. His physique instantly 
commanded attention, especially his high frontal bones, rising 
almost into deformity, crowned with red hair and shaggy 
brows, beneath which his piercing gray eyes seemed to glow 
with real fire. He was slightly above the medium height, 
lank and raw-boned ; a,nd his sinewy arms were as long as 
Scott has told us were his clansman E/ob Roy's, who could tie 
his garters below the knee without stoojDing. He was a good 
rider, an unerring shot ; and his muscular strength was her- 
culean. 

His character was as remarkable as his phj^sical organiza- 
tion. I have never met with any man of such truly heroic 
attributes as this obscure Kentuckian, who was destined to go 
through the world without an opportunity of displaying them 

180 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 181 

on a stage commensurate with their importance. His courage 
was of the lofty kind usually found among Kentuckians; 
added to which he had an imperturbable sang-froid that was 
equal to any emergency, not only in situations of personal 
peril^ but also in financial or business operations where great 
daring and quick calculation were essential to success. 

He acted promptly and decided quickly, like most frontiers- 
men accustomed to a life of constant danger ; and carried his 
decisions into effect with a power of will as fixed and inevita- 
ble as the fabled Nemesis. 

This man's intellect was of the highest order : he had a power 
of combination I have never seen equalled; and his memory 
was so remarkable, that he could relate even the most minute 
transaction of his life with perfect distinctness. 

He was obstinate, — mulish even; and his opinions once 
formed were unchangeable: but he was generous to a fault; 
and, without being impulsive, was a true and reliable friend. 

In this sententiousness he had reason ; for his estimate of 
men and their acts was generally as correct as a geometrical 
problem. By some process of ratiocination which I never 
could comprehend, and of which he himself could give no 
lucid explanation, McGregor could at once resolve the most 
intricate arithmetical questions that might be proposed. 

With all his wonderful genius, this singular being had 
received no education, being entirely ignorant of letters : he 
could not write a line of intelligible English, or even sign his 
own name. True, he did make certain marks with a pen that 
looked like it, as he was sometimes called upon to authenticate a 
document by his signature ; but it could hardly be taken for 
what it purported to be, had the scrawl not been attested by 
an intricate rubrica (flourish) in the Spanish manner. 

McGregor was a man of wealth, possessed of real estate 
and stock of different kinds : he not only had investments in 
the principal cities of the United States, but had also dealings 
16 



182 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

with bankers in tlie European commercial centres; and his 
paper was good in all. His large property was intrusted to 
agents of liis own selection, who were accountable to him alone, 
while he picked up amanuenses wherever he might be for his 
correspondence. 

The parents of McGregor died of the cholera in 1832 : and 
he had not a relative in the world, as he told me ; for he was 
a bachelor. 

He had left his home at eleven years of age ; since when he 
had roamed over the continent, having adopted the wild, free, 
and independent life of a trapper and fur-trader. In this 
capacity he passed many years without seeing a white face, 
and was a chief in some Indian tribes. 

Having accumulated a pecuniary nucleus by that traffic, he 
increased his capital by judicious speculations. Sandy had 
been converted to the Catholic faith by Father De Smets, the 
celebrated Jesuit missionary to the tribes of the Eocky Moun- 
tains : and I was sometimes astonished to hear this unlettered 
demi-savage talk about the abstruse theological discussions he 
had entered into with learned persons of other denominations ; 
for, whatever he attempted to learn, he mastered thoroughly. 

With all these, and higher qualities I need not describe, 
McGregor had his failings. He could hardly be called intem- 
perate ; for, although he often indulged in potations " pottle 
deep," I never knew his reason to be clouded, or his motions 
unsteady: he betrayed his "elevation" only by his Scotch 
fondness for argument on such occasions. But his besetting 
sin was play. He was the most inveterate gamester I ever 
knew ; and I have known many. 

All games of chance were familiar to him : but poker, brag, 
and euchre were his favorites ; and he frequently sat at these 
games for several consecutive days and nights, his adversaries 
relieving each other when exhausted ; but there never was a sign 
of weariness in his iron frame and tenacious spirit. He would 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 183 

play for any amount, great or small, and with any one wlio 
would play with him : he preferred gentlemen, if he could have 
them, and high stakes ; but, if no others offered, I have known 
him to sit down with a poor Mexican or Indian, and play for 
clacos. 

One night, when I was sitting with McGregor, a neighbor 
came to my house with the intelligence that a ship had been 
wrecked at the Punta de los Beyes, a bold promontory stretch- 
ing into the Pacific about four or five leagues from San Ge- 
ronimo, and that the whole rural population was in motion for 
the scene of the disaster. At daylight we also started with 
our vaqueros, arriving quite early at the rancho of E-afael 
Garcia, which was the only inhabited place in the vicinity 
of the wreck. 

The vessel proved to be a large bark from Bremen, as we 
were informed by her captain, who had landed safely with his 
crew and passengers ; the latter having immediately left for 
the gold diggings. He had mistaken the mouth of the Estero 
de los Tamales for the harbor of San Prancisco ; and, attempt- 
ing to enter it, his vessel had struck upon a reef, and almost 
immediately broken up. The shores of the estuary were cov- 
ered with pipes, hogsheads, casks, barrels, and boxes of mer- 
chandise of every description ; the ship having been laden 
with an assorted cargo of European goods. Many residents 
of the surrounding region had already arrived, and were help- 
ing themselves to these articles, to which their "right there 
was none to dispute;" while the jolly proprietor of the soil 
dreamed not of asserting his rights of " flotsam and jetsam." 

There were cases of the finest wines and liquors, sardines 
and sweetmeats, all unknown to the primitive rancheros : and 
the men were securing these ; while the women were breaking 
open cases of silk and woollen fabrics of delicate texture and 
gorgeous dyes, disdaining the commoner cotton prints, which 
they left for their Indian servants. These lighter articles 



184 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

having been appropriated galore^ tlie , multitude turned their 
attention to the plethoric casks and barrels which were thump- 
ing in the surf, as if they, too, were desirous of being assisted 
up high and dry on the beach, to share the fate of their more 
buoyant shipmates. The wind, blowing directly into the 
estuary, drove the whole cargo, or as much of it as would float, 
right on the beach, where it could be secured : so the people 
had only to help themselves. 

The lord of the manor, Don Rafael, and his hospitable family, 
quickly converted the occasion into one of festivity ; and the 
poor rancho resembled the mansion of Magnus Troil on the 
night of the ball. The long, low, one-storied house, with its 
spreading eaves, was profusely illuminated with the best wax- 
candles in bronze or plated candelabra of artistic patterns, 
adorned with artificial flowers of every hue ; while the rugged 
walls were concealed with framed engravings : and beneath 
them was arrayed elegant furniture in buhl and rmarquetrie, 
on which stood crowds of bottles, from which the company re- 
galed themselves with unlimited champagne, and the delicate 
wines of the Rhine and Burgundy, and toasted old Father 
Neptune in gratitude for his beneficence. 

Instead of tortillas — the national griddle-cake — we had 
soda, wine, and captain's biscuits; and ^ate defoie gras took 
the place of beefsteaks broiled on the coals, — called came 
asado. 

The rancheros, who had brought their guitars and fiddles 
strapped on their backs, soon struck up merry tunes ; and 
the light-hearted Spanish girls and their cavaliers danced the 
jarahe, the waltz, and other national dances, all night long; 
while the elders sat about amusing themselves with monte 
and euchre. 

Fat muttons and beeves were slaughtered by Don Rafael ; 
and the cocma was alive with women preparing the various 
dishes affected by native Californians, seasoned with the con- 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 185 

diments saved from the wreck. Weaned at last, I went forth 
to enjoy the fresh air, and found myself in the presence of a 
strange scene. Those guests who were, like myself, tired of 
dancing, or were desirous of sleep from other reasons, lay 
around the house on the grass under the trees (no hardship 
in this lovely climate), rolled in their gay serajjes ; or were 
lounging in groups, smoking the eternal cigarette. 

I even fancied there were some couples improving the occa- 
sion to enjoy each other's society while their parents were 
absorbed in cards, or who snored, oblivious of their children 
and all the world besides. 

The next morning I was early afoot, but found all the guests 
already risen, and awaiting their desayuyia, which they took 
alfresco, there being no room within-doors, nor tables enough 
to hold a hundredth part of the company. It was the jolliest 
merienda (picnic) I ever attended, and was kept up for a 
whole week. 

In the daytime we had exhibitions of skill with the lasso, 
the game of colear, — in which a party on horseback chase a 
wild bull, and try to upset him by his tail, — cavaliers trying 
to unhorse each other ; and one day a large grisly bear was 
tied to a fierce bull with a riata, and both turned into a corral 
to fight. The bull was victorious, — viva el toro, — killing the 
bear, although dreadfully lacerated ; after which feat he was 
magnanimously liberated to rejoin his harem in the wild 
woods. 

The captain of the lost bark made a trip to San Francisco 
and returned before the festivities were over ; and the novel 
spectacle pleased him much; although, poor man, he told us he 
had lost his little all, and would have to begin life anew, with 
the disadvantage of this misfortune upon him. Still, he said, 
he was in a country where, above all others, there were oppor- 
tunities to retrieve his losses. 

Before he left us, he accompanied McGregor and myself to 

16* 



186 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

tlie wreck in a canoe. The ship had drifted or been forced 
over the reef into still water under its lee. The captain told 
us that in the run, under the floor of the cabin, was a little 
iron safe, containing a small sum of money, some valuable 
articles, and a lot of papers ; which last he was exceedingly 
desirous to recover. He said that if we could get these papers 
for him, even if wet, we were welcome to the remainder of the 
contents of the safe, which would well repay us for our trouble ; 
and having received his address, and promising to mention 
the subject to no other parties, we separated. 

We could do nothing at the time of our visit to recover this 
safe, as the quarter-deck was several fathoms under the surface 
of the water, and operating from a rickety canoe was impos- 
sible. The great fandango having come to an end at last, the 
merry party separated, returning to their homes with their 
valuable acquisitions, and with the consciousness of a well- 
spent holiday, whose pleasures no untoward circumstance had 
occurred to mar. 

McGregor and I returned to San Geronimo, and set about 
concocting a plan to recover the captain's iron safe. Our 
preparations being completed, we set out for the estuary, but 
avoided the house of Garcia, preferring to keep our business to 
ourselves. We encamped in a well-sheltered and concealed 
nook on a beach between two headlands, and came prepared 
to spend a week if necessary. Our first step was to send an 
Indian boy to get the canoe we had used before, and which 
was the only boat in the Estero de los Tarn ales. Then we 
made a raft, under my directions, of the empty casks and drift- 
wood, of which there was plenty in the neighborhood, lashing 
its parts securely with some small manila cordage I had 
brought with me. 

This raft we towed off to the wreck at slack-water early in 
the morning before the wind had risen, and brought it over 
the quarter-deck of the submerged vessel. I had secured the 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 187 

services of a native of the Sandwich Islands, who was a skil- 
ful diver, like all his countrymen ; and from the raft he went 
down upon the ship's deck, and, after considerable exertion, 
succeeded in getting the companion-way detached from its 
place on the quarter-deck. The cabin was now open to us. 
Our diver next pried off the scuttle in the cabin-floor leading 
to the run, and, finding the iron safe directly beneath it, made 
ropes fast to it; and we suspended it to the raft. 

We then towed the raft back to the beach, and soon landed 
the safe. This we blew open with gunpowder, and found its 
valuable contents uninjured. We gave the captain his papers 
and half the money: the other half and the jewelry we di- 
vided between us. 

As we could work only when the sea was calm, our opera- 
tions lasted nearly a week ; but our time just then was of little 
account. 



XXIV. 

IN the month of September, 1851, my friend McGregor 
and myself planned a voyage from San Francisco to the 
coast of Mexico, and purchased together the brigantine "La 
Golondrina," a clipper of two hundred tons burthen, built in 
Eerrol, Spain, from a Baltimore model. She had a Spanish 
register, and, consequently, sailed under Spanish colors. Tak- 
ing command of this little vessel, I shipped a crew of twenty 
men, and fitted her for sea. Our crew was as cosmopolitan as 
San Francisco itself. My chief mate was a Yankee from 
Truro on Cape Cod, the best man on board ; the second officer 
a hardy Dane ; and the boatswain was my old shipmate whom 
I have mentioned as receiving me with such lavish hospitality 
when I landed in California from the steamer. The crew 
consisted of four Dutchmen and a Finn, two Italians, one 
Frenchman, two Spaniards, and five Kanakas. The cook was 
a North-Carolina darky named Job. 

Having been a packet, "'The Golendrina" had superior 
accommodations. She carried two twelve-pound carronades, 
or howitzers, in the waist, one on each side, and a long nine- 
pound pivot-gun of bronze on the forecastle, with the necessary 
ammunition and small- arms. 

Sandy McGregor knocked two berths into one to accommo- 
date his long legs ; and, as supercargo, purchased, and stowed 
away under hatches, a notable cargo of Chinese goods for the 
market to which we were bound. We made a good run down 

188 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 189 

the coast, and, having disposed of our cargo to advantage, took 
in a return freight, which was landed in due season at San 
Francisco. 

The business proving remunerative, we soon started on a 
second trip, touching at Cape St. Lucas, thence to La Paz, 
Loreto, and Mulege, ports of the Sea of Cortes, and to 
Guaymas, where we remained for some weeks ; then, having 
finished our business, we continued our voyage down the 
eastern shore of the Gulf of California. The tract of country 
lying between the eTnhouchures of the Hiaqui and Mayo Eivers 
is peopled with a race of fierce and intractable Indians, with 
whom the Spaniards have had much trouble since the days of 
Cortes, who gives them the same warlike character in the 
account of his voyage of discovery to this sea, which bears his 
name. Their territory, however, is claimed, under certain 
grants, by some Mexican proprietors, who have possession in 
some places, the inhabitants of which pay them a sort of feudal 
tribute. Most of the tribes live in independent communities, 
and are very warlike. Large tracts are owned and peopled in 
this way by the two rival families of liiigo and Gandara, who 
keep the State of Sonora in constant turmoil with their con- 
flicting pretensions ; being, indeed, the Guelphs and Ghibellines 
of the country. The object of their contentions is, as usual 
in like cases, political, — the filling of the offices, and conse- 
quent power of laying imposts and taxes, and receipt of the 
customs. 

In passing this part of the coast a day or two after leaving 
Guaymas, running before the trade-wind, we espied a vessel 
ashore on the beach ; and, feeling our way with the lead, stood 
in as close as was prudent. She proved to be a polacca-brig 
high and dry on the beach. Her bows were nearest the shore, 
her stern being seaward, and her crew were crowded together 
aft ; while a swarm of naked Indians on the beach were shoot- 
ing their arrows and hurling spears at them, occasionally 



190 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

trying to board over the bows. As soon as this state of affairs 
was understood, I ordered the anchor let go, hoisted out and 
manned the launch and two whale-boats, putting one of the 
carronades into the former, and, with nearly my whole crew 
in the boats, pulled for the wreck. Nearing her, I saw that 
boarding would be dangerous in the state of the sea : so, con- 
sulting with McGregor, I resolved to disperse the Indians 
first, and then attempt the rescue of the people on the brig. 
The Indians were frantic at the prospect of a rescue, and 
redoubled their efforts to board; so that the crew had their 
hands full in repelling them. 

McGregor and the second mate, with eighteen of my men, 
armed with muskets and bayonets, in the two whale-boats, 
now landed through the high surf that was running on the 
beach ; while I, in the launch, brought the gun to bear upon 
the Indian rout, having let go my grapnel over the stern, thus 
anchoring the launch just outside the surf. As soon as I saw 
the whale-boats land, I fired the carronade, loaded with grape, 
into the crowd ; and at the same time McGregor charged them 
with the bayonet, after a volley. The Indian mob opened and 
admitted our sailors, closing upon their rear ; and I feared, for 
a moment, that they must be surrounded and all killed or 
taken prisoners : but a second shot from my carronade caused 
the Indians to waver; and I saw McGregor and his men 
re-appear, maintaining an effective fire. Sandy himself seemed 
to clear his way with his long and keen sabre wherever he 
moved ; and the sheen of its blade was dimmed by blood. 
Our men kept together, back to back, in two small groups, as 
they had been instructed, like what is called a Prussian or 
light-infantry square, which enabled me to fire an occasional 
shot at the Indians without hurting my own fellows. The 
Indians at last were convinced, that, with their inferior 
weapons, they could not successfully oppose us, and that mere 
numbers would not give them the victory ; for they had not 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 191 

injured a single man of our force, while many of tliem had bit 
the dust. So they began to scatter, retreating a short dis- 
tance, apparently to hold a council. 

I had no desire to see the combat renewed, and, sending a 
round shot at the enemy, sounded the recall, and my boats 
came alongside the launch. The casualties were few: four 
men had broken heads, and three had spear and arrow 
wounds; while McGregor reported six bodies of the enemy 
left on the field, of which he grimly exhibited the scalps. He 
had acquired the Indian habit of preserving trophies of his 
victory. He said that they had carried off many dead and 
wounded in their retreat, and would not trouble us again ; in 
which opinion I fully agreed with him. 

We now turned our attention to the crew of the brig ; 
and veering a line to them from the windward, out of the 
launch, thus established communication. We then brought 
them one by one — seventeen men and one lady — aboard the 
launch, together with some wearing apparel and a few articles 
of value, returned to '•'• The Golondrina," and gained the offing. 
We lay off and on during the night, and stood in on the next 
morning, at the solicitation of the captain, intending to recover 
some of the lading of the brig if it were possible. She had, 
however, broken in two during the night; and the Indians 
swarmed in such numbers on the beach, that I abandoned the 
plan, and contiimed our voyage. The brig was "The Her- 
mosa Gaditana " of Cadiz, on a trading voyage. Her passen- 
gers and crew were profuse in their expressions of gratitude to 
us for saving them from death, which assuredly would have 
been their fate at the hands of the savage Hiaquis. 

Touching at Altata, in a few days I landed them all safely 
at Mazatlan ; for which I have since received substantial 
acknowledgments from the Spanish Government and others. 

Vessels arriving at Mexican ports with merchandise are 
commonly admitted to discharge their cargoes only after a 



192 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

tedious negotiation with the achninistrador (collector), and 
much bargaining with the underlings of the customs as to the 
scale of duties to be paid, which leads to tiresome delays; and 
do not usually anchor in the port until the negotiation is con- 
cluded. The arancel (tariff) is seldom adhered to, or even 
taken as a guide : so that you never know how much or how 
little duty you will have to pay. 

This state of things produces frightful corruption and 
bribery, and encourages smuggling, which is connived at by 
the officials, who do not scruple to make out of their official 
positions as much money as they can. 

In our case, finding we could come to no satisfactory agree- 
ment with the resguardo of Mazatlan, after anchoring I sent 
McGrregor in a boat to San Bias ; whence he returned in a 
few days with the announcement that our goods would be 
admitted at that port on much more reasonable terms than at 
Mazatlan. San Bias, also, had the advantage of proximity to 
the interior lines of travel and transportation. " The Golon- 
drina " was always ready for sea : so Sandy and myself went 
ashore to the counting-house of a merchant who had accepted 
the draft of our consignee in Guaymas for thirty thousand 
dollars ; which amount was paid in golden ounces, and taken 
charge of by my partner, who secured it round his waist in a 
handkerchief. 

The Mexican laws are very severe against the exportation 
of bullion uuder any circumstances; and it is necessary to 
smuggle it out of the country at great risk, heightened by the 
promise to informers of one-half the forfeited amount. The 
officials, consequently, have sharp eyes for smugglers. Sandy 
determined to take the chances ; and together we walked lei- 
surely down to the quay, past the custom-house, with its loun- 
ging officials, and entered our whale-boat, and shoved off. 
Whether my partner had put on too bold an air as he passed 
this group, marching with his head in the air and regarding 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 193 

them defiantly, or whether his gait betrayed his secret burden, 
I know not ; but we had scarcely got a boat's length from the 
quay when an inspector came running down from the custom- 
house, shouting to us to return. The guard, loading their 
pieces, followed him, under command of a sergeant. 

My partner and I exchanged glances without speaking, and 
instantly understood that we must keep all the advantage we 
had, and continue our course to the vessel. I therefore called 
upon the men to stretch to their oars, and give way with a 
will ; and the light whale-boat flew through the water. We 
had about two miles to row ;• but, when we had made about 
half the distance, we saw the captain of the port's gig in full 
chase, and rapidly gaining on us. "Now," said I, "Mac, 
throw the money overboard ; for, if it is found on us, we shall 
have twenty years of presidio." — "No," said he coolly: 
"wait." 

Not knowing what his plans were, but confiding in his 
resources, I kept silence. Our boat ran alongside " The Go- 
londrina," and we went up the side. McGregor went forward ; 
while I remained on the quarter-deck to receive the captain of 
the port, who soon reached the vessel. 

In the expression of his face I saw at once that he knew all 
about the money; and he told me politely, but firmly, that he 
came to take possession of the vessel. Though strongly 
tempted to pitch him overboard, I restrained myself, and stood 
quiet while he summoned from his boat his most skilful de- 
tectives, and began to ransack the little vessel. They were 
evidently old hands at the business, and searched everywhere 
for two mortal hours ; when they ceased. The bland captain 
then took his leave, giving me to understand that he should 
return soon ; and, if the money was not forthcoming, he should 
unship the rudder, and unbend my sails. The vessel would be 
libelled in the court of admiralty; and, meanwhile, he should 
leave an officer on board until he returned. 
17 



194 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

Althougli my partner was present during our conversation, 
his conduct was an enigma to me; for lie never lost his 
sang-froid^ and did nothing but smile at the threats of the 
official or my own misgivings : but when dinner was served 
in the cabin, after the departure of the port-captain, his com- 
posure was accounted for. Honest Job brought his capacious 
iron pot into the pantry, as usual, to dip up the meal, and 
from its depths fished out Sandy's pongee handkerchief, con- 
taining the gold which had been so diligently sought for by 
the myrmidons of the customs. My partner then told me, 
that, while coming alongside in the boat, he had caught sight 
of Job's ebon visage, bus_y near his galley-fire, and, by a gleam 
of inspiration, conceived the idea of hiding his treasure by 
popping it into the cook's kettle ; which he lost no time in do- 
ing, telling Job to continue his avocation with an appearance 
of indifference. 

Our merriment over the successful result of his ruse, how- 
ever, was suddenly cut short by the darkening of the cabin 
skylight ; and, looking up, we saw the head of the officer whom 
Capt. Horn had left on board at his departure, and who could 
not restrain a Spanish exclamation at sight of the treasure Ij'ing 
before us. 

The situation now called for prompt measures. The angry 
inspector was quickly bundled into a boat, and transferred to a 
small vessel near us ; our anchor was tripped, and sail made; 
and, in less than twenty minutes, we were gliding towards the 
entrance of the harbor. We soon gained an offing : but, as 
usual in this latitude, the wind fell towards night; and the 
next morning the high peak of Creston, marking the port, 
was still in sight. We were in good spirits, however, as we 
had outwitted the custom-house officials, and at sea with our 
ship and cargo under us. Just after breakfast, looking toward 
Mazatlan, we saw with the glass two large halandras (large 
launches) and a man-of-war's boat coming out of the harbor ^ 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 195 

and, as they approached us, we saw that the former, besides 
their usual crews at the oars, were crowded with Mexican sol- 
diers, while we knew at once that the man-of-war boat was 
from the British frigate " Constance." 

We had no alternative but to prepare for action immedi- 
ately ; knowing that, if we yielded, imprisonment and confis- 
cation of ship and cargo would inevitably follow : so we got the 
long nine up on the forecastle, fixed it on its pivot, cast loose 
and shotted the carronades, and laid muskets, pistols, cutlasses, 
and boarding-pikes in readiness for use; while the men col- 
lected at their quarters, delighted at the prospect of a row with 
the "greasers." 

As the boats came nearer, the Spanish flag was run up to 
the peak ; and I hailed them through the trumpet, telling 
them to keep off, and training the guns upon them, with 
lighted port-fires. 

The English boat kept farther off than the others : and I 
concluded she would take no part in the combat, if one en- 
sued ; although she had a small boat-gun in her bow, and ten 
armed- and red-coated marines in her stern-sheets. It is the 
practice of British ships of war abroad to mix up with the 
quarrels of others, — I suppose, under instructions from home; 
and they seem to be a sort of self-constituted ocean-police for 
all nations. 

Any active interference with my vessel would have come 
with exceeding ill grace at that time ; for " The Constance " 
was well known to be full of contraband bullion, her boats ha,v- 
ing been engaged in smuggling plata pina (brute silver) ever 
since the ship had been on the coast : but perhaps the captain 
thought he had a monopoly of the business, and was inclined 
to use his force and the prestige of the British navy to pre- 
vent others from sharing it, under the specious pretext of vin- 
dicating the Mexican laws. 

My hail was answered by Capt. Horn, from one of the ha- 



196 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

landras, with a summons to surrender. To this I answered 
that my vessel was at sea, more than a marine league from 
Creston, and consequently out of the Mexican jurisdiction ; 
that my duty compelled me to maintain my maritime rights 
and those of other interested parties ; that he had hetter give 
up the idea of meddling with me ; and finally, to cut the matter 
short, that, if he attempted to invade my vessel, I should treat 
him as a pirate. As this speech — shouted through the trum- 
pet in Spanish, ore rotundo — concluded, my men gave a loud 
and defiant cheer. The three boats then drew together, ap- 
parently to concert a plan of attack ; and, a light air spring- 
ing up, we hauled by the wind on the starboard tack, hauled 
up the foresail, and braced the maintopsail aback, to show we 
did not fear them, nor wished to use our heels — which we 
might easily have done — to escape. 

The halandras then separated ; one pulling ahead of the 
vessel to board over the bows, while the other made for the 
starboard gangway. The English boat remained in reserve, 
attempting no demonstration. 

Hans Petersen, the second mate, stood at his gun in the 
starboard waist, port-fire in hand; and, when the second ha- 
landra was within pistol-shot, a soldier fired his piece at me, 
standing on the poop, the ball whistling harmlessly through 
the mainsail. Instantly I gave the order, "Fire!" Bang 
went the carronade right into the bows of the boat ! The 
sea was freckled with grape ; and, in an instant, Horn and his 
whole crew were struggling in the water, which was tinged 
with blood. The other halandra, which was pulling toward the 
bows, seeing the saucy "Golondrina" coming toward her with 
a " bone in her mouth,'' — for I had filled away with the inten- 
tion of running her down, — rowed across our course to avoid 
collision ; and we passed on, tacked, and came towards the boats 
on the port tack again. 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 197 

They had had enough, however; for the cry of ^' Misericor- 
dia " was raised on our approach : and leaving them to assist 
the sunken boat, and rescue her crew, I wore ship, and bore 
away for San Bias. 

17* 



XXV. 

\ 1 Z' E did not touch at San Bias, as we knew the report of 
. V V our affair at Mazatlan would soon reach there ; and, 
preferring to keep out of the way for some time until the 
memory of it had blown over, we kept on our southerly course 
for a few days, and anchored at last in the Bay of Manzanilla. 
Colima is the most secluded of all the Mexican States ; the 
roads leading to it being exceedingly rough, and its capital dif- 
ficult of access by land ; while its commerce is very insignifi- 
cant, although the harbor of Manzanilla is a commodious and 
excellent one. We found no vessels at this port, nor had any 
visited it for a long time ; so that our advent was warmly wel- 
comed. The customs-people were exceedingly accommodating ; 
and we found them very open to the smallest gratificacioncita 
in expediting our little comer do with the towns and villages 
of the neighborhood. We were soon welcome guests every- 
where ; and the little contretemps at Mazatlan, although soon 
made known to them, with its attendant loss of life, proved 
rather a recommendation than a disadvantage, if we could 
judge from the hospitality with which we were everywhere 
received. 

In company with a party, among whom was a European 
gentleman of scientific attainments, I visited that great 
natural curiosity, the volcanic mountain of Colima, which, 
were Mexico better provided with accommodations for travel- 
lers, hundreds would visit. Having seen the most gigantic 

198 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 199 

of all tlie volcanoes, Mouna Loa, and those in the Mediter- 
ranean, South America, and the East Indies, as well as the 
Central- American burning-mountains, I do not hesitate to say, 
that to a geologist, and observer of natural phenomena, the 
volcano of Colima surpasses them all in interest. 

The city of Colima itself is a great curiosity, and reminded 
me a little of Blidah " the voluptuous," in Algeria, being 
situated in the midst of a dense grove of waving palm-trees. 
These almost conceal the one-story adobe houses. The people 
are better off than those of other Mexican towns, fewer '^ leperos " 
and beggars being seen among them. The city stands in a fer- 
tile valley tliirty leagues from Manzanilla, its nearest seaport, 
and twenty leagues from the original crater of the volcano. The 
superior prosperity of the people is probably owing to their 
separation from the rest of the world by deep and almost im- 
passable barrancas. This region produces the best coffee raised 
in the republic : none of it is exported beyond the city's walls ; 
and it commands a price of sixty cents to a dollar a pound. 
Wheat, rice, maize, and indigo of very superior quality, are 
also produced in the vicinity. The climate is perfect, and the 
country rich in metallic deposits. Although twenty leagues 
from the crater, Colima is built upon the lower edge of the 
extended slope of the mountain, and may be said to be in 
daily, hourly, danger of being overwhelmed, — a contingency 
that would impart some excitement to its residents, were they 
not Mexicans. 

Proceeding on horseback towards the cone, we arrived at the 
little town of Zapilon, near which several new craters had been 
formed, and stopped for the night. After dark the scene was 
magnificent. From the old crater at the summit of the moun- 
tain, and from two new ones in sight, vast volumes of seething, 
hissing crimson matter shot upwards, carrying with them great 
stones, which dropped, and burst, apparently, with a tremen- 
dous noise ; while streams of liquid lava rolled down the sides 
like molten iron from the furnace. 



200 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

Mount Colima is a porphyritic mountain, twelve thousand 
feet above the sea-level, insulated in an immense plain, and 
nearly a perfect cone, with the grand crater at the apex. It 
stands alone in its solitude ; and its aspect is barren, terrible, 
and threatening. No birds or other living things make their 
homes on its adamantine sides ; nor is there a tree, or shrub 
even, to be seen. 

We did not undertake the ascent of the mountain ; for cer- 
tain death would have followed the attempt. Even at Zapilon 
we were closer to the crater than was quite prudent; for the 
town was overhung by an enormous avalanche of volcanic mat- 
ter, which threatened to overwhelm it at any moment. 

Erom the mountain we went to examine the great barranca, 
which may be considered a natural fosse, or military ditch, 
separating this stupendous mountain-fortress system from the 
rest of Mexico. It is thirteen miles in length, and, from para- 
pet to counterscarp, three miles in breadth ; the sides of the 
fearful gorge being nearly perpendicular, and three thousand 
five hundred feet in length. It is one of the great wonders of 
Mexico. This fearful gorge bears evidence that, it was torn out 
of the solid eai-th at some remote period by a current of lava 
flowing from the main crater of the mountain. There are six 
other barrancas intervening between this and the town of 
Zapotlan, which is the frontier-town of the neighboring State 
of Jalisco. The whole region is subject to earthquake-shocks. 
The lava, both old and new, is a reddish-brown basaltic rock 
porphyry, very jagged and rough when cooled. The volcano is 
seventy miles from that of Jorullo, which suddenly rose from 
the earth on the night of Sept. 29, 1759, amid extraordinary 
convulsions of Nature ; thousands of acres of valuable land 
having been devastated, and a river swallowed up. 

This narrow strip, extending from sea to sea, has always been 
interesting to the student who is content to study Nature's opera- 
tions, instead of striving to invent new theories about them. It 



KEEL AND SADDLE, 201 

■ is well known that a connection exists between the volcanoes I 
have mentioned and those of the Valley of Mexico, extending 
as far east as that of Tuxtla. During the past century, it has 
been noticed, that, when any disturbance takes place in the lat- 
ter, a sympathetic movement manifests itself along the whole 
chain. 

The inhabitants of this region are convinced of this ; and they 
even go so far as to predict that the shocks periodically felt all 
the way from Vera Cruz to Colima, from east to west, transverse- 
ly across the continent, will result some day in a grand cata- 
clysm, that will rend the continent asunder, so that the waters 
of the Atlantic will mingle with those of the Pacific through 
the gap. 

Having disposed of a large portion of our cargo of fine silk- 
goods at Colima, we sailed up the coast again to San Bias, where, 
having made a satisfactory arrangement with the resguardo, we 
landed the rest of our goods. McGregor contracted with an 
arriero for mules, and accompanied them to Tepic, where they 
were stored temporarily. This course became necessary in con- 
sequence of our selling " The Golondrina " to British parties, 
who arrived at San Bias at the same time with ourselves. 

Australia had been discovered about this time to be a land of 
gold ; and thither these parties were bound, having taken the 
route through Mexico. The transfer was made at San Jose, 
in Lower California; and, returning thence, I rejoined my 
partner at Tepic. It was now the last of October ; and we 
decided to carry our- goods to the great annual fair, held in 
November at the town of San Juan de los Lagos, which is 
resorted to by the whole mercantile community of the republic, 
and is the chief indigo mart of the country. We had still on 
hand an attractive invoice, chiefly of Chinese goods, which were 
scarce and high at that time, although a drug in San Francisco ; 
and the great fair presented a chance for high prices not to be 
missed. 



202 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

A long train of heavily-laden mules accordingly issued early 
one morning from tlie city of Tepic ; and in its rear miglit be 
seen a score or more of well-armed Americans and Europeans, 
amongst whom, mounted on prancing and curvetting steeds, 
gayly caparisoned in Mexican fashion, rode Sandy McGregor 
and the reader's humble servant. Passing through Istlan, 
Madalena, and Plan de Barrancas, we arrived on the second 
dajT- at Guadalajara. From this gay city, the second in impor- 
tance of the republic, and capital of the State of Jalisco, my 
partner pushed on towards San Juan, while I remained for a few 
days to attend to some business. Having finished this, I fol- 
lowed him in company with a Prussian gentleman and his 
servant. We had arrived in sight of the lofty towers of the 
Cathedral of St. John, the loftiest on the American continent, 
when in the early morning we suddenly became aware that 
farther progress was prevented by a barricade across the road, 
made of a cart and some other obstructions. We were, then, 
in presence of the much-talked-of salteadores (foot-pads), who 
infest the roads to intercept those bound to the fair, and make 
them pay tribute. 

The Prussian was an old cavalry soldier ; and drawing his 
sabre, and shouting a Spanish ejaculation I dare not repeat, he 
spurred his horse toward the obstacle in front ; and I had no 
option but to follow him. We easily leaped the tongue of the 
cart, and were in safety on the other side of the barrier ; but, 
in our ardor, we had forgotten our valet, who followed us with 
our valises on a sumpter mule, and who was immediately seized 
b}'" the robbers. They soon " went through " our luggage ; 
but finding little of value, as our money was secured on our 
persons, they shouted to us that they intended to kill our mozo 
unless a handsome ransom were instantly forthcoming. After 
a long palaver with the rascals, — who, no doubt, were rancheros 
of the neighborhood, — they were appeased by the payment 
of a considerable sumj and poor Eusebio was permitted to 
join us. 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 203 

We found San Juan crowded to repletion ; while the sur- 
rounding hillsides were covered with tents and jacals (huts 
made of matting and small sticks), and seemed a populous 
suburb. With characteristic foresight, my partner had con- 
structed a temporary lodging of this kind, in which our goods 
were stored ; and, in addition, he had found room enougli to 
shelter the family of the keeper of the meson (Mexican tavern), 
who had turned out of their house to accommodate lodgers. 

This was a respectable and honest family ; and, as they 
became interesting in connection with subsequent events, I 
may be pardoned for naming them particularly. They were 
Nicolas Herrera, his wife Francisca, their son Martin, and 
their niece Catalina Vargas. 

The morning after my arrival I walked forth to see the fair, 
and was well repaid for the trouble. A vast amount of rich 
goods from every part of the world was attractively displayed ; 
and there was a complete museum of Mexican m-anufactures, 
amongst which I admired most the magnificent saddlery. 
Trade seemed very lively ; and McGregor informed me that 
the fair would eclipse any of its predecessors for several years, 
and that the population of San Juan, ordinarily but five thou- 
sand, was augmented to near two hundred thousand. As tJie 
mercantile transactions were exclusively carried on by my 
partner, I had little to do save to amuse myself with the novel 
sights of the great fair, of which I wearied in about a week ; 
and, to pass the time, cultivated the society of the Herreras. 
One da}'', when sitting smoking with the head of the family, 
his hostler, an idiot named Pancho, passed by ; and I made 
some inquiries concerning him. He informed me, that, some 
twenty years before, a poor family from the State of Guerrero 
had received his hospitality at the meson ; and, on the morning 
after their departure, an infant was discovered lying upon the 
litter of the stable, in which their beasts had been kept. The 
wayfarers were of a despised race, the pintos, or spotted 



204 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

people of that State, wlio somewhat resemble the lepers of 
old, or the pariahs of the East. In Christian charity, the 
worthy couple had the child baptized ; and Dona Francisca 
gave him her name on the occasion. (Pancho is the nickname 
of Francisco.) The infant was put to nurse, and, when old 
enough, ran about the great court of the meson amongst the 
arrieros and their mules until he was of sufficient stature and 
strength to work, when he became a useful servant in the inn. 
He was a robust youth, with a rough shock of reddish hair, 
dull, stupid face, and lack-lustre eyes, the frightfully mottled 
skin of his race, a rounded back, and shambling gait. Pass- 
ing for an idiot, he only answered questions by awkward ges- 
tures ; but could imperfectly articulate a few words when he 
chose to do so. He seemed to be affected by neither kindness 
nor harshness, and nearly insensible to both. 

After a week or two, I observed that there was one object 
in the world that had made some impression on his obtuse 
intellect. This was the niece Catalina, or Chapita as she was 
usually called, an orphan, who had been adopted by the Her- 
reras as their daughter. Whenever she approached, Pancho, 
involuntarily as it seemed, expressed the pleasure he felt in 
seeing her by pantomimic gestures. Chapita, who was very 
beautiful, fascinated others besides the poor stable-boy ; but 
the admiration of those was deepened by a sentiment of respect 
for her discretion ; and I once heard one of her countrymen, 
accustomed to think lightly of female virtue, say of her, in his 
jfigurative language, " that she sowed at every step seeds of 
love which were destined never to germinate." Martin, the 
s^pn of the house, had arrived to attend the fair from the 
presidio of Altar in Sonora, where he owned a large estate 
which his father had given him. 

The young hacendado, a tall, slender youth of fine personal 
appearance, set off by his handsome national dress, was an 
accomplished cavalier, and an adept in the exercises of the 
campo and the 'inesta. 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 205 

I could not help musing on the miserable destiny of poor 
Pancho whenever I saw him pass, bereft as he was of every 
thing that solaces the lives of other men on life's journey. 
Poor devil! what had he to hope or live for? He existed 
merely by that instinct of self-preservation with which Prov- 
idence has endowed animals, and even the vegetable king- 
dom ; and yet in the breast of this wretched idiot a warm 
and delightful passion had grown up, which cast a vivid light 
over his vacant intellect and hopeless life. 

The fair of San Juan drew to a close ; the extempore habi- 
tations vanished from its suburbs ; the busy crowd dissolved; 
and the roads were filled with travellers returning to their 
several homes, leaving the little town to its usual stagnation. 
We had disposed satisfactorily of our merchandise, and shared 
the profits ; and as McGregor was desirous of visiting the 
mining country near the city of Chihuahua, in which he had 
important interests, I resolved to accompany him. 

It would take too much space to give in detail the story of 
our journey northwards : so I will merely say that our route 
was by the way of Parras and Mapimi. The season was 
propitious ; and our road lay through grand and striking 
scenery, but for a part of the way was infested by hostile 
Indians, for whom we were compelled to keep a sharp look- 
out. 

At length, after twenty days of dust, heat, and drought, 
as many nights among fleas and other vermin ; after many 
weary leagues ridden with our hands literally upon our 
weapons, and eyes weary with watching ; after traversing moun- 
tain-passes, fit ambuscades for lurking savages, and lined with 
crosses, which indicated the fate of unfortunate travellers ; 
after starving for hours, and arriving at haciendas only to find 
them deserted, — we at last came in sight of the steeples of 
the Cathedral of Chihuahua. 
18 



XXVI. 

THE Bolson de Mapimi, and that part of the State of 
Coahuila which contains the abandoned mines of Santa 
E,osa, constitute what is probably the richest silver-mining 
region in the whole world. All the mines of this section of 
country have been worked for many years, and immense 
treasures have been taken from them : still it remains almost 
a terra incognita. This is because the whole district is over- 
run by the Apaches. The mines are either altogether aban- 
doned, or are worked only spasmodically by companies with 
insufficient capital to organize mining on a scale large enough 
to insure a certain return for their investment within a 
reasonable time. 

But it will be asked, " Why does not the required capital flow 
in this direction ? " I answer, that I have heard every reason 
except the true one given among these people, who do not 
like to hear unpalatable truths any more than others. The 
true reason is, that the political condition of the nation is so 
bad, that no confidence can be felt in the security of an in- 
vestment in any one thing in this country ; and until another 
and stronger race controls the government, and gives protec- 
tion to capital, and encouragement to enterprise, the riches of 
the country will remain undeveloped. The miserable popula- 
tion of this district dig out silver only for their present wants, 
or to supply that craving after fortune which appears to enter 
into the nature of every Mexican. They take enough silver 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 207 

out of Nature's strong box to serve for a few nights' gaming ; 
and, when that is lost, return to get a little more. 

Our first call upon the argentiferous deposits was made 
at Santa Eulalia, about thirteen miles from Chihuahua, which 
are the creme de la creme of all the mines of this richest dis- 
trict in Mexico, the very mountains being of silver. The 
haciendas of San Jose, Santa E,ita, and La Parcionera, near 
the Real of Santa Eulalia, are worked in the rudest manner. 
Only the soft clay " pockets " of the galleries of these mines 
are worked, as the miners can scoop out the rich ore with — 
tell it not at the ficole des Mines or at Frej^burg — horn- 
spoons ; and the limestone, which is not difficult of reduction, 
will yield from forty to a hundred and fifty dollars per ton. 
The deeper workings prove that the richest ores have not yet 
been reached. In the presence of all this great wealth, need- 
ing intelligence and capital to bring it to the surface, the 
native population are wretchedly impoverished, and merely 
idle away the time between the cradle and the grave, craving 
nothing but their bare sustenance, and occasional means of 
diversion of the most pitiful sort. 

The prudent capitalists, even those reared in the country, 
never dream of investing their funds in mining operations, 
for the reasons I have just stated ; and having visited the 
region, and examined its resources, I felt less inclined than ever 
before to enter into a speculation requiring, to protect explora- 
tions, many millions of associated capital, and a stable form 
of government such as is not to be had in Mexico. 

While in this wild region, I halted for a day at a solitary 
hacienda, which, indeed, was like all of them, — a kind of walled 
and fortified dwelling, — to wait for my companion, who had 
gone to a mine not far off. The intendente ("land steward") 
of this place informed me that in a laguna not far away were 
plent}^ of wild ducks and geese ; and I resolved to try to make 
a bag of some of them. 



208 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

He said it was well ; but tliat I must keep a sharp look-out 
for Indians, whose war-parties sometimes raided in that part 
of the country. I had heard so much talk of Indians since 
leaving San Juan, that I had become quite incredulous about 
them : so I strolled forth afoot with my gun, and soon reached 
the laguna. While poking about in the rushes to get a shot 
at some ducks, I observed in the soft mud the hoof-marks of 
horses, ridden by somebody, as was evident by the order in 
which they followed each other in two parallel lines. I hap- 
pened to know that the horses of the hacienda were in 
another direction, guarded in a valley ; and, calling to mind 
the warning of the old intendente, I concluded not to awake 
the echoes just then with my gun, but to beat a hasty retreat. 

It was two or three miles to the hacienda, over an arid 
plain, dotted here and there with clumps of chaparral ; and, 
luckily for me, the soil was what is called in Mexico a pedralj 
covered with stones as hard as flint, and leaving no trail from 
horse or man. A smart walk brought me about a mile from 
where I had seen the hoof-marks; and although I kept on, 
la barhe sur Vepaule, I was congratulating myself that I 
should soon reach a place of security, when I heard in my 
rear the sound of hoofs echoing from the flinty ground. 
Instantly, regardless of scratches, I took cover in a thick 
clump of bushes ; having previously slipped a buckshot car- 
tridge into each barrel of my gun, cocked it, and silently 
awaited events. Scarcely had I settled myself in my fortress 
when the leader of an Apache war-party came in sight. 
Having no mercy to hope for if found, I covered him and 
each succeeding warrior in succession as they passed in per- 
fect silence, the ground hardly reporting the tread of their 
unshodden horses. Each brave rode a travelling palfrey, 
and led in a leash by his side his gayly-bedecked war-horse. 
All were perfectly naked except the breech-clout, but pro- 
fusely painted in the Devil's colors, •— red and black. They 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 209 

were armed alike with lances, the blades of which had once 
been Toledo swords, decorated with feathers like the round 
shields they bore, and bows and arrows. They sat straight 
and motionless on their horses, like spectres ; the only evidence 
of animation in them being their incessantly rolling eye-balls, 
which keenly examined .every object along their route. I 
held my breath as the ghost-like band passed me within their 
spear's length in Indian file ; and, though they numbered only 
eleven warriors, it seemed to me as if an army was going by. 

All the stories about the unerring sagacity of these savages 
came at once into my mind; and I distinctly recollect how I 
was disturbed by a solitary vulture that hovered above me? 
from whose movements I feared some of the rascals would be 
led to suspect my presence. So fixed was my attention, that 
I could afterwards have told every minute peculiarity that dis- 
tinguished one individual of this war-party from another : and 
I could swear that the foremost Indian wore a single eagle's 
feather in his scalp-lock, while each of the rest had three ; 
why, I know not. 

I also know that the war-horse of the last youthful brave 
was an elegant and graceful jpinto, the possession of which I 
coveted as soon as I saw him. 

I was in no hurry to resume my route after the Indians 
had passed ; nor did I relax my vigilance until I had arrived 
at the gates of the hacienda, which were immediately closed 
after I had made my report, and all the garrison — six men 
and nine women with four babies — enclosed in the patio. 
The old intendente addressed himself immediately to his de- 
fences : but the mysterious war-party never appeared ; and, as 
they came like shadows, so they departed. 

The next day the vaqueros found the remains of a bullock, 
on which the savages had supped, a league or two off; and 
we heard that a man had been killed, some houses robbed, and 
a woman carried off from a hacienda^ about thirty miles from 

18* 



210 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

our refuge, by a party answering in description to the one I 
had seen. 

This is one of the t^eauties of life in these northern districts 
for which I have little admiration ; and these raids of the 
Apaches affect property to such a degree, that the extensive 
and fertile grazing estate of which I have spoken could have 
been purchased for less than a quarter part of the value of the 
horses and cattle roaming over the eight sitios de gana do 
mayor (square leagues, or about thirty thousand acres). 

These war-parties, I was told, are undertaken for plunder, 
murder, rape, and sometimes abduction, in pursuance of a vow, 
or in performance of a penance imposed by their chief. 

While on a war-party, the warriors must eat but one meal a 
day, and are allowed but four hours of sleep in the twenty- 
four. They are not permitted to converse with each other, and 
are obliged to perform certain diabolical rites. They must im- 
plicitly obey the orders of the warrior designated to command 
them, who may put them to death if he pleases. As is well 
known, their incursions are carried far into Mexico, spreading 
terror everywhere ; for they are conducted with remorseless 
cruelty. I had now seen one of these famous war-parties, but 
had no desire to repeat the sight ; although I drew an instruc- 
tive conclusion from this, as from all other of the experiences of 
life, — that the Apaches and other wild Indians wxre in the 
possession and practice of some sound military principles, not 
confined, as I had fondly imagined, to civilized society, and 
as old as those Greeks and Romans of whose existence they 
had never heard. 

At Chihuahua, McGregor and myself separated, — he to 
return to the United States by the way of Texas, while I took 
the road to San Juan de los Lagos. I parted from him with 
regret, and the hope of again seeing him : for our connection 
had been a pleasant one ; and through all its vicissitudes I had 
ever found him honest and loyal, while his business tact and 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 211 

natural talents had siiccessfally carried us through difficulties 
that might otherwise have occasioned failure. In our jour- 
neys by land, the place of leader had always been conceded 
to him, experienced as he was in frontier-life ; and I may say, 
that, more than once, the lives and fortunes of his associates 
were saved by his cool coui:age and unerring judgment. My 
wish to meet again was never realized; for, two years after 
our separation, he met his death at the hand of an assassin 
in New Mexico. 

I shrink from recording the details of his murder ; for it was 
perpetrated in a cowardly manner by one who would never 
have dared to meet him face to face, and the miscreant went 
scathless from the scene. It was one of those crimes that go 
unwhipt of justice in frontier society, to its eternal disgrace. 

My first halt was at the city of Durango, where I staid a 
short time, awaiting a party, who, like myself, were bound 
southward. In the sierra, not far from this city, lives a singu- 
lar Indian community, who still reject the teachings of Chris- 
tianity, adhering to the paganism of their barbarous ancestors. 
They hold themselves proudly aloof from familiar social inter- 
course and intermarriage, not only with those of Spanish or 
mixed descent, but also with those of their own race who have 
adopted the religion and manners of their conquerors, and who 
constitute the bulk of the Mexican proletarians. These inde- 
pendent communities are found in other parts of Mexico, and 
are similar in customs and manners. Representatives of them 
may sometimes be seen in the streets of the towns, distinguished 
by their long plaited hair, and the Aztec features seen in the 
statuary and sculpture of that ancient people. They mal^e 
baskets and other articles for sale, and are noted for the manu- 
facture of a very superior kind of gayly striped woollen blankets, 
so finely woven that they hold water. In the secluded village 
of which I have spoken, I saw an exhibition of natural magic 
which would have been a creditable performance at any seance 



212 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

of the most celebrated clairvoyants, or spiritists, of our higli 
civilization. Spirits were summoned from the vasty deep ; and, 
unlike Hotspur's, they came, communed orally with us, and 
did other tricks identical with those practised by the charla- 
tans of our own spiritual circles. At one of these seanceSy 
held in a mud hovel, the spirit of an aged chief communicated 
to the assembly some facts about my life, of which I am cer- 
tain no person present could have been aware, and gave other 
proofs of supernatural power, which must have convinced me, 
had I not previously possessed convictions that could not be 
shaken. 

E-eturning to Durango, I related what I had seen to an 
intelligent countryman settled there as a physician. He 
replied that the Indians of the sierra were commonly believed 
by the people of the country to be not only idolaters, but 
sorcerers ; and he related the following tale by way of illus- 
tration : — 



XXVII. 

" QJ OME years since, in one of those revolutions which 
k3 so often disturb this unhappy country, shortly after 
my arrival here, this city was occupied by a general of 
some notoriety, whose wars had been only of a partisan and 
predatory character. He was of a cruel and vindictive dis- 
position, like most of his type, and tyrannical over all who 
fell under his power. For some fancied peccadillo, this person 
imprisoned a small party of the Sierra Indians who came into 
the town on a bartering expedition, among whom were a 
chief and his daughter. This chief was of the sacerdotal 
caste, who are believed to possess supernatural gifts ; and the 
daughter was a girl of remarkable intelligence and beauty. 

" Don Alvaro Lopez, although an old man, had grown gray 
in a career of war and rapine, which he had begun as a 
soldier during the war of revolution which separated Mexico 
from Spain; and since, when there was a lack of employ- 
ment in an organized force, had been a brigand. He was 
licentious too ; and, seeing the beauty of the girl, resolved to 
possess her; but, in accomplishing his wicked purpose, slew 
the aged chief, her father. A successful rival soon after 
supplanted Lopez, who was driven from the city, escaping 
with a small band of his followers, who not long after deserted 
him. 

" His successor, no longer fearing him, knowing that he had 
lost his power and influence, and feeling himself secure from 

213 



214 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

further interference, permitted Lopez to return to his home in 
this city, and reside under surveillance. Shortly after, Don 
Alvaro fell sick ; and I was summoned to attend him. 

" Meanwhile the girl — Bartola as she was called, though 
that was not her real name — remained in Durango, as she 
had no other refuge ; for her kinsfolk would have destroyed 
her, despoiled of her chastity. She was absorbed in grief for 
the death of her father, and her own misfortunes, and lived 
upon the charity of those who pitied her sorrows; such hap- 
pily being always found among us. She occupied a 'poovjacal 
in the suburbs, and appeared to have no other occupation than 
to brood over her misery. 

" She would occasionally meet Don Alvaro in the city, and 
at such times would be heard to mutter some sounds in her dia- 
lect that seemed like denunciations, as she bent fierce glances 
upon him from under her tattered reboso. As to my patient, 
his case baffled my skill, and defied my remedies. His dis- 
order appeared to be of a nervous character, accompanied with 
chills of a peculiar kind. Having been summoned to a 
neighboring hacienda to attend another patient, I was absent 
for several weeks ; and, when I returned, I found Don Alvaro 
looking ten years older than when I had seen him last, wan, 
and with that peculiarly ashen-gray hue of feature which 
denotes mortal sickness ; although his physical strength 
nominally herculean, was not much ioipaired. 

" ' It seems to me, doctor,' said he, ' that, when my parox- 
ysms come on, I am seized with emotions of fear and tre- 
mors, which I confess I never before in my life experienced. 
I cannot say there is any reason for this .sentiment, that I am 
aware of; but, on these occasions, another personality appears 
to have usurped my own, and I am no longer myself. I 
suffer without apparent cause : my faculties are on the 
stretch ; but I cannot perceive any tangible thing to combat. 
Then come sharp pains, each distinct from the other, repeated 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 215 

successively as if by a sharp weapon. These seem to pierce 
my heart and the very marrow of my hones with sudden 
pricks or pangs, accompanied by a benumbing sensation, and 
then gradually subside, leaving me in a state of extreme 
weakness. By a presentiment I cannot describe to you, I can 
tell the approach of these attacks, which soon arrive, and I 
become aware of a persisting, implacable assault, as it were, 
upon my person : my reason gives way ; and I fall a prey to 
terror and apprehension. I am sure some one hates me, and 
is persecuting me by virtue of some evil influence, against 
which I am powerless to defend myself. Ah, doctor,' cried 
the unhappy man just then, * it is coming ! Great God! what 
do I suffer ! ' 

"The poor devil at this juncture writhed horribly in a 
fearful nervous paroxysm, which I tried in vain to assuage. 

" '■ General,' said I after the crisis had passed, ' know you 
of any bitter enemy who has reason to persecute you ; any 
one whom you may have injured, and who may wish for 
revenge ; any one you have slain ? ' 

" ' Oh ! ' returned Don Alvaro, ^ " los muertos son muy muer- 
tos " ' (" The dead are dead indeed "). ^ No : the dead do not 
torment me. My enemy lives; and she will kill me yet. It is 
that Indian girl whose father I killed : I see her at the very 
moment I suffer, — see her distinctly, with her clinched fist 
extended toward me, while she stands in an attitude and with 
a gesture of hatred, directing at my very heart the unseen 
arrows of her vengeance.' 

"After some further conversation, I rose and left the 
house. The case is unique in my practice ; which, however, 
does not prove that such cases do not sometimes exist, and 
are caused, perhaps, by electric or magnetic influences directed 
against the patient. But I am stoutly opposed to empiri- 
cism ; and the whole case is enveloped in such deep mystery, 
that I forbear giving a positive opinion, from — I 'shame not 



216 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

to say it — sheer ignorance as to whether the patient was 
afflicted by remorse for his crimes, or the determined hatred 
of some enemy. I can give no explanation ; but relate the 
facts of the case, leaving you to draw your own inferences. 

" After leaving the house of Don Alvaro, I walked mus- 
ingly towards the suburbs, and unwittingly took the direction 
of Bartola's lowly abode. Approaching it, I saw a light 
burning in the hovel j and, it being dark, my presence was 
undiscovered. I resolved to ascertain what I could . from the 
girl herself, and whether there was any ground for believing 
that the annoyance proceeded from her, as asserted by Don 
Alvaro. I went to the one window, and looked in. Bartola 
was on her knees before a rude stool, the only piece of furni- 
ture besides the pallet which the hut contained; propped 
upon which was a rough statuette of clay a few inches long, 
in the lineaments of which might be traced a grotesque 
resemblance to the marked features of Don Alvaro Lopez. 
Had I any doubt as to the actual existence of this resem- 
blance, it would have been dispelled by the poor imitation of 
a uniform that clothed the figure, bearing the insignia of the 
general's rank. In the region of the heart of the statuette a 
long needle was fixed. Bartola was so intent upon what she 
was doing, that she did not see or hear me, and sat Indian- 
fashion on her heels, naked but for her petticoat and the 
rehoso around her head, her hair dishevelled, and her features 
pinched and haggard ; while the perspiration rolled in drops 
from her face and shoulders. 

"She rocked herself to and fro, with eyes steadily fixed 
upon the figure; never once withdrawing them while repeat- 
ing some inarticulate syllables in a low tone, marvellously 
like an incantation. Sometimes she raised herself erect, and 
retreated a step or two ; then darted towards the figure, 
regarding it with an intense gaze, and sometimes menacing it 
with outstretched arm and clinched hand. At last she seized 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 217 

the needle, and stabbed tbe image : at the same moment her 
limbs seemed to stiifen, and she fell backwards, with a long- 
drawn sigh, upon the floor. 

" There was something terrible in the scene ; and I felt rooted 
to the spot. As she fell, I recovered my equanimity ; and, 
pushing against the door of the miserable dwelling, it 
yielded, and I entered its only room. ■ I raised the prostrate 
form of the girl, who was too exhausted to resist, and placed 
her upon the poor bed ; applied a restorative to her nostrils ; 
and in a few moments she opened her eyes, and gazed at me. 

" ' Bartola,' said I, ^you know me?' She gave a sign of 
recognition. ^ You are a sorceress, and practise the black- 
art ! You especially direct your evil practices against the life 
of Don Alvaro Lopez.' She smiled triumphantly. 

" ^ I will kill him ! ' said she. 

" '■ Take care ! ' I said. ' You will have to do with the 
laws : you will be imprisoned if you do not stop your evil 
practices.' 

'• ' That will not stop them,' she said proudly. ^Meddle not 
with my vengeance, and look to yourself ! ' 

" ' But, Bartola, you will kill yourself, miserable being that 
you are ! ' 

'' She made a gesture of indifference. ^ Will you cease your 
criminal machinations ? ' — 'No ! ' said Bartola; and resolutely 
turned her face to the wall, vouchsafing me not another word. 

"Finding her obdurate, I retired, taking with me the clay 
figure, which I destroyed. The next morning I visited my 
patient, finding him easy for the moment, and related as much 
of my interview as was prudent to tell him. ' Ah, doctor ! ' 
said he, ' I suffered last evening more than ever. It seemed 
to me as if I was repeatedly stabbed by that Indian witch. 
What infernal power has enabled her to torment me so ? ' I 
told him I would do my best to deliver him from her, and pro- 
ceeded to the military governor. I stated the case of the old 
19 



218 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

sinner, and received permission to send the Indian girl, upon 
a certificate of insanity, to a village twenty leagues from here. 
I thought, that, if the fatal influence she exerted was mag- 
netic, it would be stopped, or at least weakened, by her re- 
moval to a distance; and, wishing to act conscientiously 
towards both her and my patient, I resolved to try this solu- 
tion of the case. Thought I, • The unfortunate girl is not 
absolutely mad; but she has the fatal belief that she possesses 
the power of injuring him ; and it is possible that her hallu- 
cination may be dangerous to herself as well as to him.' 

"Bartola was accordingly removed, and placed in charge of 
a person selected for the purpose ; and for a few days the old 
reprobate experienced a sensible relief from his sufferings. In 
less than a week, however, the nervous agitation returned, and 
wild delirium was exhibited during the paroxysms ; and I was 
again called in. At the same time came a messenger from the 
person having charge of Bartola, who informed me that the 
nervous crises which had ceased with her departure hence had 
again set in, the attacks on her part being more energetic, 
more decidedly hostile, if I may say so, than before. Never- 
theless, I was told, each time they occurred, they left her 
much weaker. ^ So,' thought I, ' I will immediately see my 
patient, and counsel him to resist courageously and with all 
his force : perhaps the one who remains physically the stronger 
will be the victor. It is a duel a la mort between them.' 

" I found the old brigand with a terrified expression of coun- 
tenance, and nearly speechless : he beat the air with his hands, 
as if trying to parry a mortal thrust; he gasped in agony, and 
finally expired before my eyes in less than an hour after I 
entered the room. 

"I returned home ; and on the next morning the" same mes- 
senger came from the village with the intelligence that Bar- 
tola, too, had passed away, after a prolonged crisis, just half an 
hour, by my computation, after the death of Alvaro Lopez. 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 219 

" Her last words to those around her were, in Spanish, " Soy 
vengado ! " (" I am avenged ! ") It is needless to say to you 
that science cannot explain this act of mysterious retribution, 
proceeding not from the action of justice, according to our 
lights, but which, it is evident, is permitted by the inscrutable 
decree of a higher than mortal power." 



XXVIII. 

IN less than three months from the time of my departure, I 
re-entered the little town of San Juan de los Lagos, and 
rode directly to the meson kept by the Herreras. 

The gate was wide open : a crowd of gayly-attired people oc- 
cupied the court ; while from within came the tinkling of guitars 
and the small Mexican harp. The inn was en fete. Pancho 
alone, in his ordinary dress, came forth from the stables with 
his usual indifferent manner and shambling gait to take our 
horses. " Ah, Pancho ! " said I, " what is going on ? Is it a 
wedding?" The idiot grinned, and answered me by a for- 
ward butt of his ugly head. "And who are the happy 
couple ? Any of the family ? '^ Second grin, and butt with the 
head. " Is it La Chapita ? " Third grin and butt. 

This news from the lugubriously jolly mortal puzzled me : 
for I could not see why Pancho should smile at the idea of 
Chapita's marriage, unless he was to be the bridegroom ; and 
that was too absurd an idea to be entertained for an instant. 

" Perhaps," I thought, " he rejoices, in his stupid ignorance, 
because she whom he loves is about to be made happy ; which, 
in a sensible person, would be prodigious self-abnegation in- 
deed." 

"Tell me, Pancho, who is to be the bridegroom?" The 
half-witted youth answered me by pantomimic gestures simu- 
lating a nurse carrying an infant ; then bestrode an imaginary 
horse, and twirled round his shock pate an ideal lasso j after 

220 



KEEL AND SADDLE, 221 

which performance he burst into a convulsive fit of merriment, 
clinging meanwhile to the cantle of my saddle. 

I comprehended at once that Martin, the son of the house, 
was the bridegroom ; and dismounted, and retired to my cham- 
ber. A little later I went to the apartments of the innkeep- 
er's family, paid my respects to the affianced pair, and received 
an invitation to attend the wedding festivities. Tio Nicolas 
and Tia Francisco were supremely happy at the prospect of the 
match between their niece and son. 

The lovely maid of the inn was radiant in her bridal dress, 
bestowing tender glances upon Martin Herrera, whose slender 
and graceful form was displayed to great advantage in his 
brand-new costume of a haciendado, gorgeous with sky-blue 
velvet facings, rich embroidery, and dangling silver buttons. 

I will spare the reader an account of the excellence of the 
cookery in Mexican fashion, the jests, double entendres, songs, 
and other details of the somewhat gross gayety of the fete. 
Every thing went "merry as a marriage-bell," the jollity 
of the occasion ascending in crescendo until the end of the 
feast drew near. But at the very moment when Tio Nicolas 
began to cut the bridal cake, announcing its conclusion, the 
beautiful head of the bride dropped upon the table ; her arms 
fell inertly to her side ; and in an instant she was in a profound 
and deathlike sleep. This was the signal for a reproduction 
of the preceding pleasantries, mingled with " Bravi " and clap- 
ping of hands from the guests. 

Singular circumstance ! All the noise did not awaken the 
bride from her trance ! Her mother and several matrons 
of the company surrounded the fair somnambula, patted her 
hands, put vinegar and burnt feathers under her nostrils, inun- 
dated her with cold water, and used other restoratives ; but 
still she slept. 

Nature appeared to exert herself to resist some soporific 
influence, and to throw it off j for there was an occasional 
19* 



222 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

nervous tremor: but she again relapsed into sleep. These 
symptoms of reviving became fainter ; and the bride was car- 
ried off to bed. 

The wedding-feast thus interrupted, the tables were finally- 
abandoned ; and the guests departed from the meson, in which 
silence now reigned in place of the recent joy and merriment. 

The bridegroom staid near the bride as long as the least 
hope of returning consciousness remained ; but, when she was 
carried off by the women, I saw him wipe away a tear : then 
his face assumed a suspicious and wrathful aspect, and he 
issued forth into the patio. 

Following and meeting him there, he politely asked me if 
I sought any one ; and, when I said that I was looking for 
Pancho, he rejoined, " I also seek him,'^ and disappeared in 
the direction of the stables. We could not find Pancho, and 
re-entered the inn. It was a gloomy night at the meson of 
San Juan. The unaccountable sleep of the fair maid con- 
tinued in spite of all the restoratives lavished on her by tender- 
ness, aided by excellent medical skill. 

At the break of day her respiration stopped, the heart ceased 
to beat, and lamentations filled the house. The fair bride was 
dead ! I attended the funeral after a few days, during which 
I endeavored ineffectually to console poor Martin Herrera, 
whose deep grief was manifested only by a moody silence. 

Pancho had disappeared ; and I could not help secretly 
connecting his absence with the tragedy, but just in what 
^manner I could not understand. On the evening after the 
obsequies, the mystery was partially explained. The corpse 
of La Chapita had been disinterred, and lay near the empty 
grave from which it had been sacrilegiously digged in the 
cemetery ; while at a distance of fifty feet near the wall was 
found the dead body of the idiot Pancho, the skull cloven by 
a pick-axe which lay near it. 

The gossips all hastened to the cemetery as the news 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 223 

spread ; and my informant wished to enlarge upon the hideous 
details : but, cutting short her ghastly story, I bade my attend- 
ants prepare to leave the town, as I had already finished my 
business, and merely hastened my journey. We mounted, 
starting from the meson at a gallop; and in less than two 
hours lost sight of the sky-kissing towers of San Juan. 

The tragedy enacted in the little town made quite a noise 
in the country for a time, until something else as startling 
happened. Every one had his theory of the incidents of the 
catastrophe, and vigorously defended it. The prefect of the 
department, aroused to action, and the alcalde of San Juan, 
with other hombres buenos, bothered their brains for several 
months about the mystery, without arriving at any reasonable 
solution. At last it was given up as insoluble, and denounced 
in Mexican fashion as a contrivance of the Devil, and decreed 
in the book of fate. 

From Guanajuato I set out for the city of Mexico. Arriving 
without any noteworthy experience, I alighted at the Hotel de 
Iturbide, the proprietor of which, at that time, was Don Anselmo 
Zurntuza, a large capitalist and well-known citizen, and a 
gentleman to whose memory I desire to pay my little tribute 
of respect. 

Hon. E,obert F. Letcher filled the post of American minis- 
ter at that time in Mexico ; and to him I was indebted for an 
introduction to the society of the capital, in which he was much 
respected and beloved. After having passed several years among 
rude and uncultivated persons thrown accidentally together, or 
with people of primitive simplicity, with an occasional alter- 
nated taste of barbarism, the change to a refined social circle, 
in which were many persons of education and accomplishments, 
was most agreeable ; and I enjoyed it to the fullest extent. 

Thanks to Mr. Letcher, I soon became acquainted with the 
president of the republic as well as other official persons. 
Don Mariano Arista, at that time incumbent of the presiden- 



224 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

tial chair, is well known as a general and civil functionary, and 
distinguished for the mild forbearance of his rule, — a trait 
insufficiently appreciated among his countrymen. In person 
he was tall and well-formed, with good and regular features ; 
and, in hair and complexion, what Mexicans call a guero 
(blonde). 

The late war with the United States had almost utterly 
disorganized the Mexican army, and the artillery especially 
had suffered from neglect. The president, aware of these 
deficiencies, was endeavoring to re-establish the national forces 
on an improved basis, in which enterprise he pursued a liberal 
policy. He had set his heart upon organizing the artillery, 
and placing it in a state of efficiency never before known in 
Mexico ; having constantly in mind the splendid field-batteries 
of the United States, which had contributed so much to our 
success in the war. 

From consultations on this subject with the president (who 
sometimes asked my advice) grew an offer from him of a mili- 
tary position in the Mexican army, which I accepted ; and I 
became a member of his staff, with the rank of lieutenant- 
colonel. I was immediately charged with the work of organ- 
izing and drilling four light batteries ; giving, at the same 
time, instruction to a class of officers twice a week in pyro- 
techny, dynamics, and the science of projectiles, illustrated by 
target-practice, and work in the laboratory. 

My duties were rendered the more agreeable by the fact 
that all my orders and instructions came directly from the 
president as commander-in-chief. When disengaged, I was 
expected to take ' my turn of duty with other staff-officers at 
the national palace ; which was an agreeable relaxation from 
more onerous labors, and carried with it the advantage of 
free quarters and personal attendance upon my genial chief on 
public and private occasions. My horses and servants were 
also provided for at the public expense j and I had the satis- 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 225 

faction of soon acquiring the confidence of the first man in 
the republic. 

In February, 1852, the whole of the plana mayor (general 
staff) received orders to accompany the president on a journey j 
upon which we started at the appointed time, and, after a brief 
stay at Queretaro, proceeded to Guanajuato. 

In this great mining city we remained about a week, the 
president being much occupied in inspecting the principal 
mint of the nation ; and I improved the opportunity to 
examine the great mines and haciendas of this famous district. 
On the Sunday before leaving Guanajuato, I accompanied my 
chief to high mass in the cathedral with the rest of the staff, 
and, during the service, recognized among the ecclesiastics 
who officiated at the altar a well-remembered face. It was 
that of Father Ipolito, who filled the cure of San Juan de los 
Lagos. This venerable and excellent man was a Frenchman 
of high character and learning, who had once exercised the 
sacred ministry in the United States, and was universally re- 
spected by all who knew him in both countries. After the 
service was over, I accompanied the suite to the door of the 
church ; then returned, and entered the sacristy. Father Ipoli- 
to received me with much apparent pleasure, and immediately 
acceded to my request for an interview with him that even- 
ing, making an appointment which we were both exact in 
keeping. 



XXIX. 

SINCE tHe affair of the meson of San Juan, my thonghts 
perpetually recurred to tlie sad events which had partly 
induced me to leave that town on the morning of the dis- 
covery of the bodies of Chapita and the idiot Pancho in the 
cemetery. 

The faces of the actors in the tragedy frequently came 
before my mind's eye ; and I felt that my uneasiness could 
not be removed until the mysterious veil, that hid either a 
horrible crime or a fearful misfortune, was drawn aside. 

One evening, how or a propos of what I do not remember, 
an idea flashed into my mind, and a train of circumstances 
that led to a tragical end stretched out like a path of light 
before me. The vial of Lethe ! On my last trip to San Fran- 
cisco in " The Golondrina," the fatigue and anxiety had affected 
my nervous system so materially, that I could not sleep ; and, 
after tossing all night on a feverish bed, I went through the 
days in an unquiet, somnolent, and absent frame of mind, 
which not only unfitted me for business, but which exhausted 
my mental and bodily forces. 

I had consulted several medical men, and tried their reme- 
dies without avail, when I accidentally met an old acquaint- 
ance, a veteran sea-captain whom I had last seen in the East 
Indies. He was a Dutchman, and, when I knew him, com- 
manded an Indiaman trading between Holland and Java. 
Like most of his calling, this old man had been forced to act 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 227 

sometimes in the capacity of a physician ; and lie had qualified 
himself in no mean degree for such service. He had, indeed, 
quite a taste for medical practice, and carried with him an in- 
finite store of odd recipes and sovereign cures for all the ills 
" that flesh is lieir to," together with the Bunshy-like propensity 
for giving advice to all who needed it. Learning of my in- 
ability to sleep, and the attendant symptoms of my case, this 
"ancient mariner" had prescribed, as a sure panacea for my 
relief, what I afterwards called the " vial of Lethe." 

It was a small cube of crystal, closed with a ground-glass 
stopper ; its sides inscribed with gilt Eastern characters, and 
containing about a dozen pastilles of a pasty, chocolate-colored 
substance, each enveloped in gold-leaf. The composition of 
the medicine I never knew ; but it was probably a prepa- 
ration of Indian hemp and opium, as he told me he had 
obtained the drug, with other articles of great value, from a 
Javanese prince, for whom he had performed some important 
service. The captain accompanied his gift with serious and 
positive instructions, warning me against violating them ; as, 
he said, the vial contained sufficient medicine to make one 
sleep for a hundred years. I had only to take a very small 
particle of one of these pastilles on the point of a needle, dis- 
solve it in a glg^s of eau sueree^ and drink it on retiring at 
night. 

I found it an efficient remedy. An hour or so after its ad- 
ministration, total forgetfulness of all mundane things, perfect 
repose of body and mind, ensued, and calm, refreshing, and 
strengthening sleep succeeded, lasting all night; after which I 
arose completely restored. After being cured of my first 
attack by the use of this specific, I kept the vial constantly 
at hand; and this it was that I drew from my pocket at the 
instant when — like a vision — the revelation I spoke of came 
into my head. I then recalled to mind that one night shortly 
after I had arrived at San Juan, feeling ill at ease, I had 



228 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

ordered Panclio to bring sugar and water for my dose ; and, 
mucli to his wonder and amazement, prepared, in his presence, 
the draught. 

With rude pantomime and uncouth sounds the idiot endeav- 
ored to inquire why I had thus medicated the water I was 
about to drink. I told him that I could not sleep ; and that, 
after I had drank the potion, sleep would come. Pancho then 
asked what quantity of the drug was necessary to produce the 
desired result, handled the vial curiously, and shaking his 
head, as if it was something entirely beyond the range of his 
comprehension, left me to slumber. 

I gave this incident no further thought at the time, but 
went out in haste the next morning, leaving the vial near my 
bedside, where I found it apparently untouched at my return. 

It was the remembrance of this circumstance that made my 
heart beat as the questions of the idiot came into my mind. 

I examined the vial closely, counted the pastilles, estimated 
those I had consumed, and was convinced that one of them 
had been abstracted. I meditated long on the circumstances 
of the complicated drama. I considered the characters of its 
personages, the revelation of Tio Nicolas regarding the birth 
of the idiot boy, the ill-concealed violence of his passion for 
Chapita, the anxiety of Martin Herrera at the nuptial feast, 
and the subsequent fate of the bride. 

Pancho! I was convinced that the "vial of Lethe" was, in 
some way, the agent of the catastrophe ; but I could advance 
no farther towards a full solution of the mystery. Making a 
full statement of all the facts in my possession to Father 
Ipolito, I concluded by asking his advice, saying that it would 
ease my mind to hear his opinion of the matter. 

The good father reflected profoundly for a few minutes, and 
then asked me if I remembered Dario. 

This Dario was an Indian of the Maricopa tribe, a captive 
who had been brought to San Juan, and had .become a convert 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 229 

to Christianity; after which conversion he had been taught to 
assist in the services of the church, and had charge of the 
cemetery, performing his duties with exemplary patience and 
punctuality, although somewhat in years. 

I instantly understood then, by the question of the reverend 
priest, that Dario knew more than he, at first, wished to reveal; 
for he had been examined at the judicial investigation of the 
deaths, though nothing could be drawn from him except vague 
and insignificant replies to the questions asked. It was with 
a feeling of relief that I heard the question of the excellent 
ecclesiastic ; and, having answered in the affirmative, Father 
Ipolito entered upon the following narrative : — 

" It is my sacred duty as well as pleasure, my son, to do all 
I can to alleviate the troubles common to suffering humanity ; 
and it is a happy reflection that I can do so in your case with- 
out violating confidences which have come to my knowledge 
under the seal of confession. Six months after the discovery 
of the bodies in the cemetery, — of which incident you are 
aware, — I learned that Dario possessed a painful secret. 
At last he . came to me for advice. He said he had not 
told the judges all he knew, because of his belief that all 
idiots were the natural and favored children of the Supreme 
Being. I remembered the superstitious respect of all savage 
tribes for those who are either whoUy or partially deprived of 
reason. It was evident that Dario had not yet entirely di- 
vested himself of his old pagan notions ; but, waiving this 
morsel of heterodoxy, I encouraged him to proceed. 

" He then told me, that, on the evening of the interment, he 
was in his hut in the cemetery, on his knees before the cross, 
and offering up a simple prayer for the soul of the defunct, 
when he heard sounds, and looked forth into the cemetery. 

"It was late at night ; and, by the light of the moon, he saw 
a man enter the burial-ground, approach the new-made grave 
and kneel upon it, kissing the earth as if it had really been 
20 



230 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

his mother. Dario crept silently from the hut ; and, conceal- 
ing himself behind a tomb, recognized in the intruder the 
idiot Pancho, who had brought a shovel and pick-axe with him, 
and began industriously to throw up the earth that covered 
the coffin. 

" He worked vigorously, and soon disclosed the coffin, which 
he broke open. Dario did not interfere with his labors ; for, 
soon after Pancho had begun his work, he became aware that 
there was another witness of the disinterment. 

"This was Martin Herrera, who had cautiously followed 
Pancho, and stood watching him in the perpetration of his 
sacrilege ; but, when the work was done, he rushed upon Pan- 
cho, crying out ' Sacrilege ! ' 

" The terrified idiot fled towards the wall of the cemetery, 
Martin pursuing him, armed with the pick-axe. 

" Pancho tried to climb the wall ; but the avenger overtook 
him, and buried the pick-axe deep in his skull. 

"For a moment the young man stood contemplating the 
body of his victim ; then stirred it with his foot as if to ascer- 
tain that it was really lifeless, and returned to the grave, lifting 
his hands to heaven-as if deprecating its wrath. But at this 
moment Dario saw the corpse of the girl sitting erect, and 
endeavoring to divest itself of its cerements, and, terrified at 
the sight, could no longer restrain an exclamation; at the 
sound of which, Martin, casting a lingering glance at his be- 
loved, withdrew slowly from the cemetery, — as Dario thought, 
to fetch assistance. 

" As you had left San Juan, as you tell me, on the same day, 
probably you have not heard that Martin disappeared from the 
town at the same time, going alone to the presidio of Altar, to 
his hacienda ; and is now at the placer in California, having 
left Mexico, I suppose, until the remembrance of the tragic 
aifair has died away. 

" Inquiring of Dario why he had not in the first place seized 



KEEL AND SADDLE, 231 

the idiot in tlie act of profanation, and, above all, wliy he had not 
interfered at the last to save the woman, — who, doubtless, had 
been restored to consciousness by the action of the cool night 
air, but, unassisted, had sunk again into the arms of death, 
— the poor ignorant creature replied, that Hhe child of 
Heaven,^ as he called the idiot, had resuscitated the dead by 
his power derived from above ; and that, in her second death, 
he recognized Heaven's vengeance for the murder of its child. 

"I did not then attempt to enlighten the ignorance, and 
overthrow the superstition, of the poor Indian ; but afterwards, 
I hope successfully, I explained to him the true attributes of 
our heavenly Father, and his ineffable goodness to the mean- 
est of his children." 

Here ended the recital of Father Ipolito. The mystery was 
explained at last. One of my pastilles had been stolen by 
Pancho, and part of it dissolved in a cup of chocolate, which I 
remembered hearing that she had drank just before the wed- 
ding-feast. The potion must have been a powerful one, but 
not necessarily fatal ; for my medicine was slow in its opera- 
tion, although its effects lasted for a long time. 

The mutual confidences of the good father and myself were 
properly authenticated, at his request. And thus ends the 
sad story of the Fair Maid of the Inn. 



XXX. 

OK our return to fhe capital, a military expedition was 
prepared to march against those rebellious chiefs who had 
organized armed resistance to the authority of the government 
in the State of Michoacan. 

This force consisted of some two thousand infantry, fifteen 
hundred cavalry, and two batteries, of which the president 
assumed the command. 

The cavalry and infantry began their march at midnight, 
and were already far on their road, the artillery still parked in 
the grand square before the national palace, when, at early 
dawn, we were awakened from sleep by fifty trumpets and 
cornets in the court, sounding the inspiriting strains of the 
Diana. I immediately mounted, and put my guns in motion ; 
and, when we halted for our desayuna at the garita of Belen, 
the column was overtaken by the president and his staff. We 
bivouacked that night at Quajimalpa, a poor village ; and next 
day arrived at Toluca, one of the most beautiful as well as one 
of the most ancient of the cities of Mexico. The mountain of 
Tutucuitlalpico rises above the city fifteen thousand feet ; and 
upon its Yevj summit is a lake of clear, ice-cold water. Con- 
tinuing our march, we halted the next day at La Gabia, a 
hacienda belonging to the Count of Eegla, thirty square 
leagues in extent. This vast estate shares the peculiarities of 
nearly every climate, from hot to cold, and yields their several 
products. In its area may be found flourishing, according to 
232 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 233 

the different elevations of the soil, wheat, maize, and the fruits 
of the temperate zone ; and, not far off, sugar-cane, coffee, 
palms, and olives, and all the rich and luscious varieties of 
tropical fruits. The State of Michoacan, or Morelia, has been 
considered since the times of the Montezumas the most fertile 
as well as the loveliest district of Mexico, and is entitled to 
the appellation of the Garden of the Valley. 

Our little army pushed on through Taximaroa, San Andres, 
and other villages, with the easy gait and insouciant manner 
that distinguish the Mexican soldiers, — who make marches that 
would astonish any other troops, on the smallest amount of 
sustenance, — and slept that night at the hacienda of Queren- 
daro. 

The next morning our cavalry was engaged with that of the 
enemy ; but the fight proved to be a mere affair of outposts ; 
and for another day or two we continued our route unmolested, 
although hostile cavalry was seen hovering about our column. 
On the 25th of February, 1852, the army was marching over 
a difficult and dangerous road, and the head of the column had 
become engaged in a deep and narrow defile, when it was 
heavily attacked on both flanks. My two batteries were near 
the middle of the column : the infantry were thrown back upon 
us in confusion, and a panic began to spread among the whole 
command. Seeing how vain would be any effort to rally the 
disorganized infantry, and that the situation called for a diver- 
sion of another kind, I resolved that my artillerists should 
furnish it. At my command, they quickly dismounted and sep- 
arated the pieces and carriages of two mountain-guns, having 
been previously well drilled in that manoeuvre. They then 
took, one a wheel, another the brails and axles, a third an- 
other wheel, while four or five carried the pieces themselves 
between them with their lassoes : others followed with the 
implements and ammunition for the guns, and, struggling 
manfully up the almost perpendicular sides of the defile, re- 



234 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

mounted the guns, and opened a rapid fire upon the left flank 
of the enemy. This feat could not have been performed by 
any troops but Mexicans. In no other country is the lasso so 
skilfully used, and none but Mexican military saddles have 
heads to secure it ; soldiers of other nations are not so good 
horsemen as Mexicans ; and, finally, no other than agile, sure- 
footed, unshod Mexican horses could have climbed that fearful 
ascent. 

Like his rider, the horse of the country is trained to chase, 
and assist his master in overthrowing wild cattle of greatly 
superior strength ; and the manner of breaking him to the 
saddle, of bitting him, of saddling and riding him, is diametri- 
cally opposite to all European methods, civil or military. As 
to Americans, except in the Far West, where the best riders 
adopt the Mexican fashions, equestrian exercises have fallen 
so completely into desuetude, that we have now only park- 
riding, which is but a poor imitation of the "Bois" and 
"EottenEow." 

This sudden artillery-attack shook the enemy, and gave time 
to our men to rally, who again pressed forward into the defile ; 
while our cavalry, coming up in the rear, decided the event, and 
drove the rebels from the field. 

Emerging from the defile, we saw the forces of the latter in 
line of battle in the plain, and formed to attack them ; but, at 
the first shot from the much-dreaded artillery, they retreated, 
pursued by our cavalry, to Patzcuaro. 

Under the walls of that town they made another stand : but 
the artillery again put them to flight ; and we entered the city 
in triumph, where the president established his head-quarters, 
the rebels retreating to the mountains. Having dispersed 
the facciosos as they were called, and restored order in this 
beautiful State, until its next disturbance we could turn our 
attention to social enjoyment, in which we were aided and 
entertained by some of the very persons who had fought 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 235 

against us ; and, the objects of the campaign having been 
attained, we returned leisurely to the capital. 

There, having been badly wounded, I became the guest of a 
family from whom I received the kindest care. 

While confined within-doors, my former friends often came 
in to while away the dull hours with agreeable conversation. 

Among these was a young man who held a government 
ofiice, and who had often questioned me about the difi'erent 
countries I had seen, and sought such other information as I 
was able to impart. 

One day I asked him, in return, to relate to me his own 
experiences ; and, complying at once, he told his little history, 
which, as it forms an admirable commentary upon the manners 
of the country, I may repeat in a free translation of his own 
language without being charged with digression. 

" Commonplace and uneventful as my humble memoir may 
appear to you, colonel, who have had such large experience 
of all countries, it still has a moral, and perhaps implies a 
satire upon our Mexican society, of which I am an insignifi- 
cant member. I am a native of Guadalajara. My parents 
died while I was yet young, after having given me as good an 
education as they could afford with their very limited means. 
They left me no money, but much taste for spending it. 

"I languished some time after their death, in a small 
provincial town, on a modest employment, which permitted me 
to ride a borrowed nag on the Pasco on Sundays and holidays, 
and to purchase my inexpensive toilet and cigarritos, until I 
arrived in this city. I had come to the conclusion in my 
humble retreat that Fortune at last must be weary of neglect- 
ing my claims to a more brilliant position. 

" With a purse light indeed when compared to my hopes 
and expectations, I descended at the best hotel in Mexico, 
and ordered the best accommodations. I was conducted at 



236 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

once with welcoming salutations to an elegant thougli small 
apartment, furnished with taste and comfort ; and at once 
understood that I had entered a fashionable, and, consequently, 
expensive house. 

" ^ Ave Maria,' thought I : ^ my destiny has changed at last, 
and I must conduct myself like a well born and nurtured 
youth ; for, as everybody knows, such a one is a person for 
whom society does a great deal, while he does as little as 
possible for society, public consideration here below being in 
inverse ratio to one's usefulness/ 

" Being left alone, I approached the window, and, looking 
into the street, perceived a young woman on the balcony of 
the next house, who smiled pleasantly at my appearance. 

" Too well-bred not to understand such advances, I saluted 
the lady, who politely returned my courtesy. Emboldened by 
such condescension, I made a sign in our digital language, 
which meant that I thought her charming j and blew her a 
kiss. 

" The young woman burst into a laugh, and retired, shutting 
the window. ^ Good ! ' thought I : ^ an adventure has already 
commenced. E-eally, the capital pleases me : I shall be en- 
chanted to inhabit it.' As dinner at the inesa redonda was 
not to be served for an hour or so, I employed the intervening 
time in a street promenade ; taking possession, as it were. 

" The streets were filled with people intent on business or 
pleasure. The gay air of the latter, and the complacency of 
the negociantes, were pleasing to a stranger; while occasional 
glimpses of handsome ladies on their balconies, children 
returning from school, and other lively sights which diversify 
the streets of our city, gave me an agreeable impression. 
' Ah ! ' thought I, ' here every one lives but for amusement : 
every thing seems en fiestaJ 

^' I have always thought that life is only understood in 
great cities. I regarded the passing crowds ; and it seemed to 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 237 

me that already I knew these persons, who henceforth were to 
be my fellow-citizens. I murmured to myself the names on 
the signs of the shops ; and even felt an impulse to salute the 
passers, and to inquire after their healths. ContiDuing my 
walk, I arrived at my hotel, and seated myself at the 'mesa 
redonda, near an old schoolmate whom I recognized. As was 
natural, we mutually informed each other of the motives which 
had led us to the capital. 

" ' I have come here to occupy a government-ofSce,' said I. 

" ' And I also,' said my friend Valdes, ' came with the same 
intention, but have already lost all hope.' 

"^Why?' said I. 

" * The place I was desirous of possessing,' answered 
Valdes, ' depends upon the minister of the interior.' 

" ^ Mine also depends upon the same official,' I returned. 

"'I have just seen him, and he announced to me that a 
rival possessing incontestable claims would be preferred to me.' 

*^ ' Know you who he is ? ' 

" ^ I do not know his name ; but he has written some articles 
upon the administration of his department for " The Siglo," 
and is a licentiate : he is also a relative of Gen. Bravo.' 

"^Caracoles, hombre ! it is I!' ejaculated your humble 
servant, with a sudden joy he could not conceal. 

'^Francisco Valdes made an exclamation of surprise. 

"'Pardon me, my poor friend,' said I, concealing my joy 
under an affected air of modesty. ' I am in despair at having 
been the cause of thy disappointment; but that particular 
place has been promised me for a long time. I had, indeed, a 
claim upon it, as the honorable minister told thee.' 

" ' So you are the nephew of Gen. Bravo ? ' said Francisco. 

" ' I am, indeed, the nephew of my uncle,' said I gayly. 
* But be not uneasy : I hope to acquire some influence with 
the minister ; and thou shalt have the very first agreeable 
vacancy.' 



238 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

" Dinner over, and feeling that sort of generosity that is 
natural to a victor, I would not abandon my friend Valdes to 
gloomy reflections on his defeat, but accompanied him to the 
Alameda. Although it was the fashionable hour, and all the 
ton of the city was airing itself in carriages, on horseback, or 
on foot, my friend seemed dejected and disgusted. He found 
the gardens badly laid out, the women homely, and the 
weather — here in Mexico ! — unpleasant. 

" The true sun of most men is not in heaven : it is in the 
heart ; it is joy. Reaching a gentle eminence from which the 
eye could take in the city, the volcanoes, the lakes, with their 
floating chinampas, and the whole unrivalled panorama of our 
glorious valley, I could not help stopping, and uttering an 
exclamation of delight ; but my companion only shrugged his 
shoulders with contempt. 

" ^ I always did hate a great city,' said he. ^ What is it but 
a comb void of honey ; an ant-hill, whose population is forever 
laboring without reaching satisfactory results ? Such is human 
life, — action, bustle, everywhere ; but substantial results 
nowhere. Water runs ; the wind passes by us ; we grow old, 
and die ; and all is ended. What law governs all this agi- 
tation? Why, chance. Some arrive at their destination 
without having taken their departure ; while others are forever 
departing, but never arrive. The happy are those ^ heavy 
fathers ' and stage-uncles who stick to their parts. But look 
at those wretched leperos, so out of place in this gay crowd ! 
They cower under the pelting of the storm while traversing 
the dreary path of life ; and, when they arrive at the coach- 
office of destiny, there are no tickets left.' 

" Somewhat annoyed by these allusions, I ventured to 
remark that the first condition of success in seeking place is 
the possession of talent ; the poor in wit being like the poor 
in purse, — unable to furnish an equivalent for the enjoyment 
of a good position. But, seeing that my remarks piqued 



KEEL AND SADDLE, 239 

Valdes, I added, 'Philosophy is out of place just after dinner: 
so let us digest now, and postpone business until to-morrow. 
Can we complain of life or of society while enjoying this per- 
fumed breeze, or while listening to that murmuring brook ? 
No one, Francisco, can claim to be exclusively happy or 
miserable. The rich have need of the admiration of the 
poor, the powerful of the approbation of the weak. 

" ' Look at these charming women as they pass. It is for 
us that they wish to appear beautiful ; those sumptuous car- 
riages are gilded but for our admiration ; those lackeys are 
gorgeously liveried, not for their masters, but for us ; and that 
old gentleman, who rides so badly, exposes himself to a broken 
neck only that we may be amused.' 

"A cavalier of ripe age, dressed in a splendid Mexican 
riding-costume and mounted on a richly-caparisoned horse, 
appeared at this moment on the Alameda. It was easy to see 
that his steed was well trained in those acts of the manege 
taught by our ginetes to a cahallo galan ; and he threatened 
at times to bring his rider to grief. He caracoled gayly, 
frequently turning upon his tracks, snorting, and champing 
the bit,' and often taking as many steps to the rear as to the 
front ; which is the last degree of perfection in a horse of the 
haute ecole. 



XXXI. 



" rriHE old cavalier, ill at ease, tried to induce his fiery 

JL cliarger to rest a little from his gamhadoes ; but the 
horse snorted, threw up his head, and passed on. Yaldes 
stopped to gaze at the retreating horseman. ' He looks like a 
pair of tailor's shears on horseback,' said he : 'he must be a 
very great man to possess the right to make himself so 
ridiculous.' I noticed that all the promenaders saluted the 
old gentleman with respect and deference; the ladies, especial- 
ly, bestowing radiant glances upon him. ' Mean flatterers ! ' 
remarked Valdes. ' If he were a poor ranchero, they would 
point their fingers in scorn at him. See him, now, parading 
before that carriage ! He strongly resembles a circus clown. 
I have a great mind to hiss him.' 

" ' Silence ! ' said I : 'he approaches. He is a person of im- 
portance : see his decoration ! ' 

" ' Ho, ho ! ' said Francisco. ' Let us view him nearer : we 
may extract some amusement from his capers. Such a carica- 
ture must not be permitted to pass with impunity.' 

" ' Take care what you do, Erancisco ! ' cried I. And he, 
' I am not a public functionary, but a free man, and may have 
an opinion of my own.' 

"So saying, Valdes walked rapidly to a little green eleva- 
tion bordering the path followed by the cavalier; but sud- 
denly I saw him stop, step rapidly forward, and salute the old 
gentleman. At the same moment the horse made a volt, 

240 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 241 

and the old man's hat flew off, and was carried some distance 
by the wind. 

" Valdes ran in pursuit of the sombrero ; missed it three 
times, and caught it at the fourth trial. He brushed it care- 
fully with his sleeve ; then ran to the ridiculous cavalier, to 
whom he presented it with a low bow. 

" ' What the devil can he be about ? ' thought I ; and, 
curious to know the reason of this sudden change of demeanor 
in Valdes, I endeavored to gain admittance to the roadway 
through the crowd: but the old cavalier instantly quitted 
the Alameda, Valdes accompanying him, walking by the side 
of the caballo galan. 

^' I returned to the hotel, still mystified by what I had seen 
on the Alameda ; and, meeting the landlord at the entrance, 
asked him the name of my fair neighbor, who occupied her 
balcony. 

" ' Ah, ha ! ' answered he, ' that little one ? ' 

" 'Yes, to be sure.' 

'''She is una senorita libre^ ('a free young . lady '). 'She 
is called " Bita." Ah ! indeed, with her coquettish airs, and 
her great languishing eyes flashing from under her rebosito.^ 

" Then, assuming a grave air, he continued : ' She has 
helped to spend more than one liberal inheritance among my 
quondam lodgers. I often have here unsophisticated young 
men travelling for information.' 

" Hearing this account of my neighbor, I virtuously deter- 
mined never to open my window, or to waft more kisses from 
it; and, night drawing on, ascended to my apartment, and 
began to work at some literary employment I had in hand. 
In about a couple of hours I rose, walked to the window, and 
cautiously looked towards the house of my vis-a-vis, having 
been attracted by the sound of voices. 

" I saw a man, whom I recognized as the ridiculous cavalier 
of the Alameda, standing before the door of my fair neighbor, 
21 



242 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

wliicli was held ajar by an old womarij whom he was suppli- 
cating for admission. 

" I could make out from their colloquy that the vieja (old 
woman) was obdurate; and she finally retired, repeating a 
Spanish proverb, signifying, that, when one has no teeth, one 
cannot expect to crack nuts. 

" The visitor, however, still lingered under the window, ap- 
parently hoping for reconsideration of the refusal ; when I 
heard a whispered conversation, interrupted by stifled laughter, 
in the chamber of the 'free young lady.^ Suddenly the win- 
dow opened, and E,ita appeared, bearing a vase in which was 
a large bouquet. 

" The gay old cavalier raised his head, and softly whispered 
her name ; but a deluge of cold water and flowers prevented 
him from saying more. I could not refrain from bursting into 
a laugh at his discomfiture, which drew his observation toward 
me. 'Ah !' said he, 'it is, then, a preconcerted affair.' 

"He then groped his way up the narrow street, keeping 
close to the houses, and, with a shame-faced air, disappeared 
in the obscurity. 

"I did not avail myself of the opportunity to enter into 
conversation with Eita, who lingered invitingly on the bal- 
cony. My sense of dignity as an official of the government 
obliged me to adhere strictly to propriety; and, feeling 
sleepy, I re-entered my chamber, and shut the window. 'A 
courtesan ! ' said I contemptuously to myself while putting on 
my nightcap ; ' to trade on one's beauty ! I have ever detested 
the race ; and, now that I know the truth, this one appears 
hideous. I must turn a deaf ear to her blandishments : it is 
quite easy to one of positive delicacy like myself.' So saying, 
I slept soundly. My dreams were pleasant : I imagined that 
I had been elected president, and, making a European tour 
after the expiration of my term of office, married a German 
princess wilh a nice tZo^, an army of three men, and the right 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 243 

to nominate half a deputy to the diet. Awaking the next 
morning, I found that both the sun and my pretty neighbor 
had ah^eady risen. She was seated near her window, engaged 
in embroidery, while she hummed 2ijarabe. 



Aforrado de mi vida I " yo te quisiera cantar," 
Por mis ojos son tiernas, y empezaran a Uorar.' 

De Q-uadalajara vengo, lideando con un soldado, 
Solo por venir a ver a mi jarabe aforrado.' 



" The last versicle was appropriate to her souvenir of myself, 
I thought ; for she looked up, smiled, with a blush over her 
features, and, without acknowledging my rather distant salu- 
tation, lowered her head over her work with an air of sadness. 

"I finished my toilet with care; for I had heard that the 
minister of the interior received at an early hour, in order to 
appear like a man of business-habits. I placed the letter of 
my uncle (the general) in my breast-pocket, and started for 
the house, which I entered, quite awe-struck with its magnifi- 
cence. 

" The high windows splendidly draped, the broad staircase, 
and roomy vestibule, announced wealth and power. I felt an 
innate respect for one so well lodged, my assurance diminishing 
in proportion to the size of the apartments I traversed ; until 
my self-mistrust culminated on entering a vast saloon hung 
with silk, and superbly furnished. . 

" I delivered the general's letter to a servant, who prayed 
me to wait until his Excellency had finished his toilet. Left 
alone, I walked round the room, curiously at first, then with a 
furtive step. I was troubled, I knew not why. I consulted 
ni}'- watch, although I did not wish to know the hour ; and at 
last seated myself mentally to rehearse the compliments I 
wished to pay to the great man, as I piqued myself on my 
knowledge of the world, and of the art of pleasing. 'All 



244 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

men,' said I to myself, 'are alike. Take plenty of vanity, ditto 
of egotism, a few grains of chance, double the same number 
of vices disguised as virtues, mix well together, and you have 
indifferently a king or a cobbler. The surest way to success 
is humility. One has but to listen when a patron speaks in 
order to be credited with wit and wisdom. Should his Excel- 
lency have his weak points, so much the better : they will be 
so many rounds of the ladder to aid me to mount.' As I ended 
my monologue, a door opened, and a gorgeous rohe de chainhre 
appeared. ' His Excellency ! ' said the servant.' We each 
made a step towards the other, and recoiled simultaneously. 
I beheld the same person who ha'd been repulsed so scornfully 
by E,ita the previous evening ; while the minister clearly rec- 
ognized me as the stranger who had made merry at his mis- 
hap ! Both were embarrassed ; but the minister first recovered 
his presence of mind, assumed a tone of dignified coolness, and 
remarked, 'You are the gentleman recommended by Gen. 
Bravo ; are you not ? ' glancing at the letter which he held 
negligently. 

" ' I am,' said I trembling. 

" ' Ah ! no doubt you have claims ? ' 

" ' His Excellency must have seen — in the letter — of the 
general,' I faltered. 

" ' Oh, yes ! he spoke of some articles written for " The 
Siglo," — true; but who is there that does not write for the 
newspapers now-a-days ? A licentiate too : ah ! that is not 
an uncommon distinction. Meanwhile, I will see. I wish to 
be useful to any one recommended by the general. Ah ! 
come and see me, — some other time : just now I am busy.' 

" Speaking thus, his Excellency waved me politely towards 
the door ; upon nearing which, as I involuntarily obeyed his 
gestures, I suddenly comprehended that all would be lost in 
case I did not insist upon something at once." 



XXXII. 

" rr^HE situation in which I was left in the preceding chap- 
I ter was a critical one ; and I nerved myself to meet it 
with the courage of despair. ^ Pardon me, your Excellency/ 
said I ; ' but the general gave me hopes that your protection 
would be accorded me.' 

" The minister frowned. * Have I promised any thing ? ' 
asked he coldly. 

" * Nothing ; but the general told me — he thought — by his 
advice I left the employment I had, hoping to establish my- 
self at the capital.' 

" ' Bo you know any one here ? " asked the minister with an 
appearance of eagerness. 

^ No one/ I answered. ^ I arrived only yesterday.' 

" * Ah ! really ? I imagined I had met you somewhere.' 

" By the bitter and angry manner and tone which emphasized 
this last remark, I understood that all hope had fled. I made 
a step backward, and joined my hands, articulating, ^ Oh ! why 
should I have seen what I did last night ? ' 

" ^It all seems like the translation of a verse of Ovid,' coldly 
remarked the minister. 

" I twisted my hat in my hands nervously, and gazed around 
with a frightened air : a cold sweat bathed my forehead, and I 
essayed to make my exit, but, stopping an instant, ventured to 
say, — 

" * May I ask his Excellency for whom my place is destined ? ' 

21* 245 



246 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

The door opened, and the servant announced ' Don Fran- 
cisco Valdes r It was a ray of light to the minister. ' Behold 
my answer ! ' said he. 

Francisco stopped at once with a stupefied air. ' I, Excel- 
lency ? ' said he. 

^^ ' I would not announce it to you yesterday, when I had the 
honor to meet you on the Alameda ; I had not then fully de- 
cided : but, since that time, your respective rights to the place 
have been more fully ascertained.' 

" ^ All right ! ' said I, thinking of the adventure of the vase. 
' Oh meanness personified ! and this is what is called society? ' 

" The door stood wide open, and I made but two steps down 
stairs and into the street. Eeaching the open air, I collected 
my scattered thoughts, and relaxed my haste. There was, 
seemingly, a weight upon my chest. I felt at once furious and 
humiliated. It seemed to me that I must discharge upon some- 
body the grief that oppressed me. 

" I imagined that all the incidents of my interview with the 
minister were written upon my forehead for every one to read. 

" I hurriedly traversed the streets, the alleys, and the squares, 
casting furious glances on the houses, and on the people I met. 
Mexico, just then, appeared hateful. ' What a noise ! ' I mur- 
mured, ' what disorder ! Why are those idlers abroad ? no one 
works here ! ' And my thoughts reverting to my adventure, — 
' Ah, ha ! success in this place comes by picking up the hats of 
great men. City of injustice and debauchery, Mexican Sodom ! 
thy prizes are only to be gained by parasites and sycophants. 
Cursed city ! I shake thy dust from my shoes.' As I achieved 
this imprecation, I was rejoined by my successful rival. 

" In his turn, Valdes had assumed the joyful air and depre- 
catory accent that I had put on the previous evening. ' Well,' 
said he, ^my poor friend, it seemed I deceived myself: my 
claims have at last been recognized.' 

" ' Hardly worth while to talk about claims,' said I : ^ does 
not favor decide every thing here below ?' 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 247 

" ' You thought otherwise yesterday/ he answered ; ' and, by 
your own avowal, the unsuccessful are only the poor in wit.' 
He refrained from finishing his speech; but I bit my lips with 
spite at the justice of his remark. 

" ' For the future,' said Francisco with graceful dignity, 
'■ count on me. The minister wishes me well ; and, should any 
vacancy occur ' — I could listen no longer ; and, darting a dis- 
dainful glance at poor Francisco, I turned my back upon him, 
and hurried forward. 

"Fatigued at last by desperate and aimless wanderings 
through the streets, I returned to the hotel, shut myself up in 
my chamber, and fell into philosophic reflection upon what had 
happened. '■ After all,' I thought, ' why make myself miserable ? 
My misfortunes only please the minister, who regards them as a 
kind of homage to his power. In afflicting myself, then, I am 
but the accomplice of his vengeance. My fortune has been 
compromised, it is true ; I am without a place ; my bill in this 
hotel is unpaid ; and I have about cash enough left to buy a 
hook and a rope to hang myself withal : still it is more digni- 
fied to support my reverses manfully. His Excellency doubt- 
less believes me now in bed, crushed by misfortune, and taking 
hartshorn to quiet my nerves. Well, I will disappoint him 
by passing a pleasant evening.' So saying, I rang the bell 
with all the confidence of a millionnaire. 

" ^ Let me have an excellent supper ! ' I cried to the waiter ; 
' a roasted chichalaka (pheasant) and your best wine, — 
champagne and Burgundy. Above all, let the supper be well 
served. Go ! ' 

"I drew my curtains, and lighted four new wax candles. A 
table was soon set with bright crystal on snowy damask, and I 
sat down to a supper that would have made a gourmand smile 
with pleasure. With the first course my spirits revived, and 
I convinced myself that the loss of such a place as that I as- 
pired to was not irreparable, and that I could obtain another 
equally desirable and less onerous. 



248 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

" At the secord course I rejoiced that the minister had re- 
fused me a place, in which, had I accepted it, my high destinies 
would have been trammelled by the petty bonds of a subaltern 
employment. 

"With the dessert I believed myself a prince living in an 
enchanted palace, while docile genii anticipated all my wants, 
and ministered to my desires. 

" The generous wine quickened my pulses ; my bosom's lord 
sat lightly on his throne ; the pictures danced upon the walls ; 
and the floor seemed to sway lightly under my feet with a 
dreamy movement, like the swinging of a grass-hammock. 

" I jestod with the waiter, who seemed charmed with my wit ; 
and, finally, I tossed off my chasse and sallied into the street, 
occupying the whole broad staircase in my descent. The sky 
sparkled with the stars of our charming tropic night, and I 
thought that no city could be more beautiful. The very man- 
sions around me seemed illuminated as if for a triumph : joy 
and benevolence were inhaled with the perfumed air. I politely 
saluted several passers, although they were utter strangers to 
me. I dropped a duro in the begging-box at the street-corner ; 
laughed heartily at two leperos engaged in gambling for clacos ; 
and entered a Punch show, crowded with galopinas (chamber- 
maids), which I soon deserted for the open air. I walked rapidly 
for a space ; then loitered, and began talking to myself: — 

" ' Wine is calumniated,' I said with enthusiasm. * It is 
the best of God's gifts to man. It is not what some fanatics 
would have us believe, nor is its analysis what chemists assert. 
Wine is liquid sunbeams. It is the beautiful sky and invigor- 
ating climate of Southern Europe bottled, and brought to us 
here in the tropics. Ah, celestial fluid ! it is thou that re- 
animates the sinking heart, and transforms vulgar brains 
into festive halls in which thousands of lovely visions glide 
through graceful dances.' 

" Musing after this manner, I at length found myself in the 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 249 

street of my hotel, entering it at tlie side opposite to that which 
I had generally used. Pausing at what I supposed to be the 
door of the hotel, I knocked for admittance. A window above 
opened ; a head was thrust out, and immediately disappeared : 
the door was unfastened, and an old woman admitted me. I 
was still distraught, occupied indeed with thoughts suggested 
by my vinous dithyrambic, and mechanically ascended the 
stairway without giving it special notice. Before I realized 
my situation, I found myself in a chamber not my own, vis-a- 
vis with La Rita. 

" To have excused myself, alleging that I had mistaken the 
house, would have been the part of a country booby : so I 
accosted my fair hostess as if I had come to make a call of 
ceremony. The old woman disappeared ; and I found the young 
girl, on a near view, remarkably handsome. She received me 
graciously ; and we were soon engaged in animated conversa- 
tion. 

" ' Cielo ! ' thought I, ' this is a worthy crowning of my even- 
ing's pleasure, — post Bacchum, Venus / ' 

"Rita did not assume a character not her own, and, from the 
discussion of general subjects, soon glided into excuses for the 
life she Was leading. I was not in a censorious humor : indeed, 
I re-enforced her arguments in her own defence, telling her, for 
example, that, in ancient Greece, women, her prototypes, like 
Aspasia and others, helped materially to form the manners of 
that cultivated nation. 

" After an hour or more, I rose to depart. ' Do you remain 
long in this city ? ' asked Rita. 

" ^ Alas ! ' said I, ^ I thought so yesterday: but my hopes have 
been blasted; and thou, perhaps, art the cause.* 

'''How so?' 

" I related my story. 

"'If that is all,' said she, 'I think I can arrange matters. I 
have hitherto, as you have seen, repelled the advances of bis 



230 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

Excellency ; but, for thy sake, I will not only give him an inter- 
view, but will promise thee also that thy wishes shall be granted 
beforehand.' 

"'Indeed!' returned I: 'then art thou my good angel!' 
And, bidding her good-night, I returned to my hotel with a 
profound contempt for honest women. 

"The next morning I sh^pt quite late; remaining in bed, 
indeed, until the servant brought me a note from the minister 
of the interior, couched in the politest terms, and asking me 
to ' do him the honor ' to breakfast with him, so that he could 
explain himself upon the ' misunderstanding ' of the day be- 
fore. I understood at once from what quarter had come the 
change in his sentiments; and, while dressing, according to my 
habitual custom, addressed to myself this monologue : — 

" ' So,' said I, ' the place I wished for is to be granted, not 
to my talents, but to the solicitation of a lady of the demi- 
monde. Well, what does it matter, since it has been conceded 
to the influence which my person and accomplishments have 
produced upon a woman ? . Women are our primal protectors. 
As infants, we are nourished from their bosoms ; in middle age 
we are indebted to them for the delights of love ; and, when we 
grow old, their care soothes our sufferings, and assists our in- 
firmities. Is it not more honorable and agreeable to owe one's 
fortune to a young girl than to some old dowager who would 
marry you against your inclinations ? ' 

" Having leisurely performed my toilet, I set out for the 
house of the minister ; and, although I knew that I was much 
belated, — for I arrived long after the hour specified in his 
note, — I felt no uneasiness on that account. The day before 
I appealed to the justice and benevolence of his Excellency ; 
now I came recommended to his vices : so I was not the least 
troubled. 

" The minister excused himself for having asked me to 
breakfast at so early an hour ; saying, that, upon a reperusal 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 251 

of the general's letter, he saw more in it than had met his eye 
on its first reading, and even recognized a mistake of persons 
on his part. He added some complimentary remarks on my 
literary works, and announced that a commission for the place 
would be issued to me the same morning. On my part, I gave 
proof of an excellent appetite ; flattered my host like a man 
of wit and tact ; approved of every thing about him without 
exaggeration ; and, at the close of the meal, left the minister 
enchanted with my parts. 

" As to Valdes, he could never again get the entree at the 
minister's ; and, after several ineffectual attempts, he resigned 
himself to his fate, and returned to his village. 

" When my uncle, the general, knew of the appointment of 
his nephew, he merely remarked, ^I was sure of it: the min- 
ister of the interior can refuse me nothing.' He wrote, nev- 
ertheless, to thank liis friend, and accompanied the letter with 
a handsome present. 

" I continue to keep on excellent terms with both my patron 
and La Eita, who also maintains her place in his regard. His 
Excellency and myself are frequently seen on horseback to- 
gether : and, thanks to his lessons, I have already become a 
tolerable cavalier ; although I thought I had won a right to 
that distinction long before I came to the capital, having had 
the usual experience of all my countrymen in that exercise. 

" Perhaps, my colonel, at the conclusion of my little memoir, 
you would like to know my opinion as to the best mode of suc- 
ceeding in life in our country, to which my experience has 
been confined. I will tell you in the words of my invariable 
answer to all young men who question me on that subject : 
^ Merit is one's best Maecenas and patron.' I have always said 
it, and have proved it by my own example. I sometimes add, 
that it is only in high principles that one should seek for 
success and happiness." 



XXXIII. 

THE spring of the year 1852 was now at hand, and the 
time propitious for a change to a more northern climate, 
which, for various reasons, I was desirous of making. About 
this time, also, happened the contingency for which I had pro- 
vided when I accepted service in the Mexican army. This 
was the retirement of my excellent patron and friend, Don 
Mariano Arista, from the presidency. 

Accordingly, I resigned my commission, receiving on the 
occasion numerous testimonials both public and private, and 
prepared to leave the republic, in which I had led a somewhat 
eventful life, and had always been treated with uniform kind- 
ness and hospitality. Besides the sunny skies, the unrivalled 
climate, and the magnificent scenery, of this portion of our 
globe, so favored by bountiful ISTature, and eulogized by Hum- 
boldt as unique among the countries he had visited, I left 
behind me many kind and steadfast friends, and a few families 
to whom I felt truly attached, and whom I hoped again to 
meet. 

There is a nameless and indescribable charm in Mexico 
which holds every one who has lived for a term of years within 
its boundaries, and which begets a longing to revisit it which 
never fades. The Spaniards who returned to their own coun- 
try after the revolutiou which separated the colonies from 
Spain were especially affected with this nostalgia, we are 
told ; ^nd there is a proverb which corroborates the statement : 
252 



KEEL AND SADDLE, 253 

" Si en Indias fueres, sea en donde los volcanes vieres " (" If 
you ever go to the Indies, let it be where the volcanoes are"). 

Having completed the preparations for my departure, I left 
the city in company with a young Californian returning from 
the placer with a notable sum in dust, — his two-years' har- 
vest, — whose acquaintance I had made in the capital. Besides 
ourselves, there were nine other passengers by the diligence, all 
natives of the country, mostly commercial gentlemen bound 
to Vera Cruz. Not one of them was armed ; for the sons of 
the country have an idea, that to resist robbers only provokes 
them to greater atrocities. 

All went well with us until we arrived at the stopping-place 
at Perote, where the passengers slept, on the last stage to 
Vera Cruz. ISText morning, the coach started ; and the nine 
insides, including myself, were resuming our interrupted 
dozings, when two shots were heard in quick succession. The 
coach stopped: there was some hard swearing; and all got 
out into the road. 

There was nothing istrange to be seen, however, except two 
dead bodies riddled with buck-shot, which lay, one on each side 
of the highway, where they had been tumbled by the right 
and left barrels of my fowling-piece, in the hands of my com- 
panion Twichell, who was seated beside the driver. 

The driver said there was a third person, and recognized one 
of the rateros, (foot-pads), who he said, the evening before, had 
questioned him at Perote about the passengers and their na- 
tionality. 

These two had seized the heads of the leaders of our team, 
while the third man tried to cut the traces ; and only the 
prompt action of Twichell had saved the passengers. Yet 
they were all highly indignant at my comrade, and myself 
who sustained him, dreading, as they said, the revenge of the 
robbers. They had come prepared for robbers, with pinchbeck 
watches, and but little money in their pockets. But we only 

22 



254 KEEL AND SADDLE, 

laughed at tliem ; and soon the coacli began its descent through 
the defile of Cerro Gordo, near which place of glorious memory 
for Americans the attempt had been made. 

Arriving in due time at New Orleans, I was soon on my 
way up the Mississippi, and entered the " belle riviere." 

Among my fellow-passengers on the steamer w^as Lieut. 
Thomas J. Jackson of the United-States army, who seemed, at 
first, a remarkably quiet, reserved, although very intelligent of- 
ficer, and with whom I soon became acquainted ; for there is 
everywhere a sort of cameraderie among of&cers of the two ser- 
vices which attracts them to each other in a crowd of strangers. 
Por several days the inland voyage continued; and our nights 
were partly spent upon the hurricane-deck of the steamer, 
engaged in conversation. 

One of these conversations was so peculiar, that it fixed 
itself in my memory ; and subsequent events proved it worthy 
of record ; although, I confess, I hesitate to put in writing any 
thing which seems to border so nearly on the marvellous. 

One clear starlight night, as we glided along the calm river, 
our conversation turned upon the firmament and its countless 
orbs that looked down upon us. Jackson asked me if I had 
ever been induced to take a flight from the study of nautical 
astronomy, practised by all naval officers, into the realms of 
astrology. I replied that I had always been interested, more 
or less, in those mathematical studies required in nautical cal- 
culations ; and that, from the exact rules demanded for working 
the various problems of the epheineris, I had sometimes, to 
amuse the idle hours of a sea-life, worked out the nativities of 
my shipmates. I had even taken Zadkiel's Almanac, and used 
his rules, but without believing in the science of judicial astrol- 
ogy. Jackson, however, was not so incredulous ; although it 
was evident that he had not then decided fully within himself 
as to the truth or falsehood of this exploded science. 

" Why," said he, " should we be ridiculed for believing in 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 255 

this, as in other occult sciences, in this nineteenth century? 
Magnetism! magnetic somnambulism! — who shall say that 
the science of aerostation will not he made practically useful to 
mankind? Why should not the buoyant and elastic element 
surrounding our earth be made the vehicle of transportation 
from clime to clime for man and his increasing necessities ? 
I will go farther, and ask, Who can doubt but that it will 
eventually be so used, like its twin-element upon which we 
are now afloat ? The means of directing those forces which 
we know exist have not yet been discovered ; but that does 
not prove that the air will not some day find its Fulton or its 
Watt. The imperfect vision of things often appears to the 
intelligence before the things themselves. The learned are free 
to confess their ignorance ; but they should not elevate it into 
a principle. They may understand and exi)lain an immense 
number of phenomena ; but the causes of these often entirely 
escape them, or they are compelled to take them upon trust as 
insoluble mysteries.' Ask these savants the why and the 
wherefore of the natural actions they investigate, and they 
assume a solemn air, and refer you to the fabulous ages of 
science. It is much easier to deny any relation of spirits to 
matter than to demonstrate it. 

" If the illuminati of the middle ages have not made sci- 
ences, at least we cannot deny they have made poetry. Senti- 
ment led them into the sphere of illusion, it is true ; but 
illusion is often the shadow of truth. Let it be remembered 
that Kepler was an astrologer. The mathematician Cardan 
relates that the events of his life were announced to him 
through dreams, presentiments, and apparitions, by his familiar 
genius, and by the movements of the stars. And these were 
strong-minded men. Even Napoleon believed in his destiny, 
and is said to have carried his belief in the supernatural far- 
ther than his historians will admit. Those bright orbs above 
us are living creatures. Each one of them is animated by a 



256 ' KEEL AND SADDLE. 

certain intelligence gifted with forces, and they act directly 
upon our planet. Each ray of light falling to earth finds its 
destination in the animate world. Not a living being, not even 
a flower, but has its patron and guide on high in one of those 
orbs suspended in ether. Why should not this wonderful in- 
fluence transmitted through space, this communion of souls as 
it may be called, this correspondence of the spheres, forming 
a universal bond of union, determine also the destinies of the 
beings they are known to influence ? Whenever one of those 
worlds approaches another, does not each endeavor to draw 
the other within the sphere of its attraction ? And who, in 
this day, will deny the Newtonian theory? 

" To foretell events, to pierce the heavy mist that conceals 
from us the secrets of fate, is a universal longing of the human 
heart. This longing is felt in the hut of the savage as well 
as in the palaces of the great. So fierce and universal a de- 
sire must be one of Nature's mysteries. She has already 
opened our eyes to so many, it cannot be that she means to 
deceive us in this one. 

" If we do not read in the great book eternally open before 
us in the skies, as we have already done in that book the leaves 
of which are in the strata of the earth, it is because we have 
only learned to spell, as yet, in the alphabet of mystery." 

Before we parted at Pittsburg, a day or two after this 
conversation, I had given Jackson the necessary data for 
calculating a horoscope ; and, in the course of a few months, 
I received from him a letter, which I preserved, enclosing a 
scheme of my nativity. As any one who may have calcu- 
lated these schemes by the rules must know, a horoscope may 
be interpreted in various, even contradictory terms, by difi'er- 
ent persons; and this was no exception to the rule. The 
only reason I had for remembering it at all was, that our 
destinies seemed to run in parallel lines ; and, so far, it was 
remarkable. It was this peculiarity that caused Jackson to 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 257 

communicate with me, and the reason why I laid it carefully 
aside for a re-examination. 

The several planets were placed in their respective houses 
above and below the horizon; and Saturn being near the 
meridian, and approaching a square with the moon, great 
danger was to be apprehended by the native at the period 
when the aspect became complete. Mars also bore a threat- 
ening aspect ; while Jupiter was below the horizon, and semi- 
sextile, which was not altogether unfavorable. There was no 
trine, and the sextile was weak. Altogether, from the evil 
aspect of the square of Saturn, which threatened an opposi- 
tion, — that most dreaded of all the evil aspects of the heav- 
ens, — the scheme was quite dangerous and malign. 

The precise time and nature of the threatened danger, 
requiring a second calculation, accompanied the scheme, prog- 
nosticating the culmination of the malign aspect within some 
ten years, or during the first days of Maj^, 1863 ; at which 
time the native ran great risk of life and fortunes : but, in 
case he survived that peril, the ominous period would never 
again recur. 

In his letter Jackson says, " I have gone over these cal- 
culations several times, as their result is almost an exact 
reproduction of my own. ... It is clear to me that we shall 
both be exposed to a common danger at the time indicated." 

Having but little faith in the almost-forgotten and alto- 
"f gether-repudiated science of astrology, I took little heed of 
either his scheme of nativity or his letter, regarding the for- 
mer as ingenious, but as merely a proof of an ardent and some- 
what enthusiastic temperament; while I little imagined, at 
that time, that the rather unpolished and rugged exterior of 
Lieut. Jackson concealed a character destined to become fa- 
mous among his countrymen. 
22* ^ 



XXXIV. 

SOOK after the events of the Italian campaign of 1858, 
ending with the battle of Solferino, I found myself at 
Strasburg in company with several officers returning to Paris, 
who had served either in the French army, or in that of its 
allies the Piedmontese. These gentlemen were of various 
nationalities and ages, and met every evening at the Cafe du 
Lion, where the campaign, and other subjects congenial to 
military men, were discussed, according to the custom in Con- 
tinental Europe. 

My particular comrade and friend was a Russian colonel, 
who had served in the artillery of King Victor Emanuel, partly 
for exercise in a professional way, and partly, I think, to ease 
his mind by an occasional shot at the Austrians, to whom, like 
many of his countrymen, he certainly bore no good will. One 
evening, the tables being all filled, as we were about to leave the 
cafe to take one on the sidewalk, we were politely invited by 
an elderly officer with the epaulets of a chef de hataillon, and 
wearing several orders, among which we remarked that of the 
iron crown, — now seldom seen, — to take seats at his table. 
Accepting the hospitable invitation, we were soon at ease ; and 
the conversation became quite animated. 

Military discipline happened to be the theme; and the 
Russian at once vaunted that of his master the czar, depicting 
the stolid devotion of the Russian private soldier, his perfect 

258 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 259 

submission, and total indifference to death, although the array 
is entirely recruited from the class of serfs. 

I ventured to remark that all this might be true, but that 
the French soldier also possessed a deep sense of moral obliga- 
tion towards the necessities of discipline ; and, in addition to 
those passive qualities, had, usually, skill and knowledge suf- 
ficient to enable him to act when deprived of his of&cers, which, 
possibly, the other could not do. I also said that I had never 
heard of any considerable mutiny in the French army like 
that of the British navy at the Nore, for example ; or of such 
disorganization as that of the British army at Badajos. 

The old chef de hataillon then said it was true that exam- 
ples of the kind were very rare in the French army, but that 
he had known of one such in his experience ; and that, if we 
had the patience to listen, he would give us the details. 

" It happened in this very city," added the old officer; "but 
all accounts of it were suppressed by the government of the 
time, and, as far as I am aware, have not as yet passed into the 
domain of history." 

As I have never met with any account of this transaction, 
I will venture to transcribe it here, as given by its narrator : — 

" In the memorable year 1815 I belonged to the Army of the 
Rhine, which, having valiantly fought during the summer of 
that year, fell back upon Strasburg, numbering fifteen thou- 
sand men, under the command of Gen. Count Rapp. 

" The place was invested by the Austrians ; but, in consequence 
of the political aspect just then, there was a truce between us. 
The Bourbons had returned under the allied auspices, and had 
made many concessions, which were unfavorably regarded hy 
the army, among which was the surrender of some strong 
places and a quantity of war material. Our general also received 
an order to disband and disarm the Army of the Rhine ; which it 
was difficult for him to execute, there being heavy arrears due 
the troops. After much negotiation with the royal ministers, 



260 KEEL AND SADDLE, 

Eapp sent his chief of staff in person to Paris ; but a deaf ear 
was turned to his remonstrances and warnings, and he was 
compelled to return with but four hundred thousand francs, — 
a sum totally insufficient to discharge the arrears. His arrival 
at Strasburg at once destroyed all hopes of a peaceful accom- 
modation with the troops ; and, although he succeeded in ob- 
taining an additional amount of a hundred and sixty thousand 
francs from the municipal authorities, the mutiny at once burst 
forth. 

"At eight, A.M., of the 2d of September, about sixty 
non-commissioned officers of the different regiments of the 
garrison assembled in one of the bastions of the place, and 
drew up a paper, stating that the Army of the Rhine would 
consent to obey the order for its disbandment, only upon 
the following conditions : viz., first, that the officers, sub- 
officers, and privates should receive all the pay due them ; 
second, that all should depart on the same day, taking with 
them their arms, baggage, and forty rounds of ball-cartridge 
for each soldier. 

" This programme having been approved by the meeting of 
delegates, five of their number were appointed to call upon the 
commanding general in order to communicate this unanimous 
decision of the troops. 

" The five delegates repaired to the palace ; and, after some 
hesitation, were admitted to the presence of E-app, who received 
them in his bath, and listened to their respectful announce- 
ment until the term ^ conditions ' was mentioned. This word 
made him furious; and, springing up, he exclaimed, 'Condi- 
tions ! You wish to impose conditions on me ? ' The anger 
of the general awed the delegates, who had not as yet lost all 
respect for authority ; and they took their leave. 

" The delegation then made their report to the rest of the 
non-commissioned officers, about five hundred in number, wlio 
immediately proceeded to adopt further measures, well knowing 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 261 

that a man like Eapp could never be intimidated. They had 
already committed themselves by their action, and felt that 
they must carry the affair to a termination of some kind, if 
they wished it to be successful. 

" Accordingly they informed the soldiers of their respective 
corps of their repulse, and received from them further instruc- 
tions. The meeting, held upon the Place d'Armes, unanimously 
resolved to depose their officers temporarily; and, having 
elected other officers in their places from the sub-officers, chose 
as chief, for the time being, the sergeant-major of the Seventh 
Light Infantry. This man was named Dalhousie, of remote 
Scotch, but immediate French ancestry, and was well known 
in the army as a person of capacity, courage, and a certain 
soldierly loquacity peculiar to himself. Having been informed 
of his election, he addressed his comrades in the following 
pithy speech : — 

^•^ ' Comrades ! you wish to be paid your arrears in full ? Am 
I right in saying that is your object in assembling here ? ' 

" ' Yes, yes ! ' shouted all present. 

" ^ Well, then,' said Dalhousie, 'if you promise to obey me 
implicitly, to abstain from license or disorder, to respect prop- 
erty, and to protect everybody, I swear by my head that you 
shall be paid to the uttermost farthing within twenty-four 
hours ! ' 

" This short allocution was received with applause ; and the 
new general-in-chief proceeded to officer the troops afresh, 
choosing the drum-major of the Fifty-eighth of the line as his 
chief of staff. 

" The troops then returned to their barracks. 

"The generate was then beaten ; and the whole army, ex- 
cepting the grand guards, pickets, and smaller guards. — 
cavalry, artillery, and infantry, — appeared upon the Place 
d'Armes in imposing array under their new officers. Mean- 
while, Gen. Eapp, informed of the revolt, sallied forth from 



262 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

his headquarters, accompanied by his staff, and proceeded to 
the same place to stop the seditious movement. The opera- 
tions of the troops, however, had been conducted with such 
celerity, that he arrived just as the columns, followed by 
the populace, were debouching upon the square by all the 
streets leading to it. They were immediately formed in line of 
battle by battalions in mass, and commanded to fix bayonets. 
The cavalry drew sabres, and two full batteries were loaded 
with grape, before the very eyes of the general. 

" Whenever Gren. Eapp attempted to address the troops, 
his voice was drowned by loud vociferations ; and the guns were 
kept trained upon him and his staff as they shifted their 
ground. One artillerist, especially, adjusted his piece so care- 
fully and persistently, following every movement of the gen- 
eral, that the latter advanced, and addressed him thus : ^ Well, 
miserable, do you wish to kill me ? Fire, if you dare ! Here 
I am, at the muzzle of your gun ! ' — ' Ah ! "inon general^ cried 
the soldier, '■ I was with you at Dantzic. I would freely give 
you my life ; but my comrades want their pay, and I am com- 
pelled to act with them.' And he ominously blew his port fire. 

" It was here in this very square, gentlemen," said the old 
officer, warming up with his story, " that Count E-app, deaf- 
ened by the clamor of the troops, who seemed to be intent 
only upon preventing him from being heard, and followed by a 
tumultuous throng, finally decided to return to the palace. 

"The troops kept close behind him; and, as soon as he en- 
tered the gates, all the different entrances were occupied, 
interior and exterior guards were detailed and posted, and 
sentinels doubled at every post, including the staircase leading 
to the general's private apartments. At the same time the 
telegraph and the military chest were taken possession of, 
and another guard sent to the Maison Eouge, the lodging of 
the Austrian general Volkman, the commissioner, for his pro- 
tection. The drawbridges were raised ; and all communication 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 263 

with the country outside the place was cut off, or permitted 
only by passes signed by the new commandant. The new chief 
of staff, with a trumpet, repaired to the headquarters of the 
allied troops, and signified to their general, that, while he con- 
tinued to observe the truce, the garrison would use no hostile 
act towards his troops ; but that, if they attempted to profit by 
the misunderstanding between the French general and his 
soldiers, the latter would resist with their whole force. Dal- 
housie established his headquarters upon the Place d' Amies, 
and created two commissions, — one upon subsistence, composed 
of commissary-sergeants ; and the other upon finances, of 
sergeant-majors. They were declared permanent, and deliber- 
ated upon the most suitable modes of maintaining public 
tranquillity, and assuring the city against the possibility of 
surprise either from without or within. 

" The guards of the citadel and of all interior posts were 
doubled, and the cantonments outside the place re-enforced. 
The troops bivouacked on the public squares, and no military 
precautions which the most zealous prudence could suggest were 
forgotten. It was forbidden for a soldier to enter any place 
in which spirituous liquors or beer were sold, under pain of 
death ; and the same penalty was denounced against any one 
guilty of pillage, disorder, or insubordination. In order to 
further assure the public tranquillity, a bulletin was ordered 
to be issued every six hours, containing full information pf the 
situation of affairs. The military chests were examined, and 
estimates of the necessary sums required to liquidate the arrears 
of pay made out in full. Dalhousie convened the municipal 
council, to which he made full representations of the reasons 
which led the army to revolt against its superior officers, and 
besought its members to take counsel together upon the subject 
of raising the funds necessary to discharge the arrears. 

'• Meanwhile the troops maintained an ominous silence, hold- 
ing no conversation with their former officers or with the 



264 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

citizens; which conduct, so rare among French troops, occa- 
sioned great uneasiness, and plunged the city into deep 
despondency. 

"Dalhousie at last received a message from the council, 
informing him that they consented to supply the necessary 
iunds ; thus yielding to their fears what they had refused to 
prayers. 

" The division and brigade generals and other officers who 
had been deprived of their '• commands,' having made trouble 
by their efforts to bring the troops back to obedience, were 
shut up in their quarters, and guarded. The citizens were at 
last re-assured by the continued good order which prevailed 
among the troops; and the following 'order of the day' was 
issued : ' All goes well : the citizens have provided funds, and 
the payments have commenced. (Signed) GAKisrisoisr.' 

" The sobriquet of Gen. Garnison was given to Dalhousie. 
The secret instigators of the insurrection now saw that the 
expected riot and bloodshed would not be inaugurated unless 
they succeeded in exciting an emeute among the troops : so 
they sent a chasseur to the Place d'Armes to proclaim that 
Gen. Rapp had attempted to smuggle money out of the 
place ; and that, in consequence, he must be put to death as a 
traitor. This effort was defeated. The troops imprisoned 
their chief in order to carry out their plans ; but they harbored 
no animosity against him. His reputation as a man of honor 
remained intact, and his integrity was no more doubted than 
his courage. Such open provocation to murder excited distrust, 
and the troops only became more circumspect. Similar efforts 
to excite mobs among them failed of their desired effect, in- 
cluding a direct attempt to assassinate the general. 

" An event that occurred about the same time did much to 
quiet the turbulently-disposed among the troops, and to dispose 
them to return to order. The enemy's line received strong re- 
enforcements, and sallied from its cantonments before the place,^ 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 265 

approacliing the division in observation without the walls. 
This apparent concert between the movements of the Austrians 
and events within the city, which it would appear improbable 
they could have been cognizant of, caused much speculation 
among the garrison. E,c-enforcements from the place were 
sent to the outside division, and demonstrations made, which 
had the effect of checking the hostile movements of the enemy. 
It may be that the Austrians did not care to meet so redoubt- 
able an enemy as the Army of the Rhine ; or perhaps they pre- 
ferred to await the measures adopted by their partisans within 
the walls. At any rate, the enemy returned to his original 
position ; while the garrison continued, calmly and persistently, 
to pursue its proposed end, — the payment of its arrears. 
Strasburg presented a spectacle of perfect order in the midst 
of disorder, and of severe discipline maintained in an army in 
revolt. Dalhousie sent to E,app a deputation, composed of the 
sergeant-governor of the place and six general sergeants, which 
was received by the general with some asperity. He pro- 
nounced them the dupes of designing men, and unworthy to 
wear the French uniform. Their spokesman told Count Rapp 
that it was true they were in revolt ; but that the rest of the 
armies had been paid off, and they only asked for their just 
dues, — the poor pittance for all their sacrifices of blood and risk 
of life, and which was necessary to pay the expenses to their 
homes. E-app answered that he had represented their case to 
the ministry, but that he was unable to procure more than the 
four hundred thousand francs, which they were welcome to 
divide among the different regiments. This they positively 
declined, saying that the whole arrears must be liquidated. 
The interview was ended by Gen. Rapp's ordering the 
deputation from his presence, telling them he blushed at the 
idea of holding further discussion with mutineers. 

"It ia my belief that Rapp was annoyed by the news that 



266 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

his compatriots, the Strashurgers, had yielded to fear what 
he could not obtain from them by entreaty. 

" At last the loan was effected, the paymasters received the 
money, and the agitation subsided. Payments were made to 
the troops in the usual form, which having been completed 
during the night, the generale was again heard in the morn- 
ing ; and all the posts and guards were withdrawn from the 
palace, while the whole garrison assembled on the square as 
before. Gen. Garnison then read a proclamation addressed to 
the soldiers of the Army of the E-hine, in which he compli- 
mented them on their boldness in asserting their rights. This 
boldness had compromised them with the civil and military 
authorities ; but he said that no danger menaced any one in 
consequence, save the sub-officers, who had controlled the 
revolt in order that equal justice might be done to all. He 
then appealed to them to preserve good order and discipline, in 
order that the sub-officers might have immunity from punish- 
ment. It was then announced, that having served with honor, 
having received their pay in full, and being Frenchmen, they 
must deliver up their horses, arms, and government-stores, and 
submit themselves to the orders of the king. 

"The sergeant-general, Dalhousie, then ordered the two 
divisions of infantry, the cavalry, and artillery, to defile before 
him ; and conducted the whole force to the prefecture, where 
white standards were distributed to the regiments. The 
troops then returned to their barracks and to the authority 
of their officers, who immediately repaired to the palace to 
tender their congratulations to tlieir general. Count Eapp. 

" Dalhousie was there present ; and the general generously 
gave him a pardon in consideration of the order and discipline 
he had preserved while the army was in revolt. I am entirely 
ignorant of his after-life. Thus ended a mutiny without prece- 
dent in our military annals. I have never thought it was 
instigated by the Austrians ; for they had no motive for so 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 267 

doing. The Bourbons were in Paris, the emperor a fugitive, 
and foreign diplomats were at the moment making out the 
new map of humiliated France. A plot against the life 
of Kapp seems yet more improbable. Austria, it is true, might 
have desired to occupy Strasburg temporarily ; but the advan- 
tage would hardly have compensated for the sanguinary com- 
bat sure to have been provoked by an attempt in that direc- 
tion. Ko : it appears to me more simple and natural to look 
upon the whole aifair as an explosion, a revindication, per- 
fectly legal in principle, made by men who could not be 
supposed to possess great regard for the unknown power which 
had changed their colors, and which, to fill up the measure 
of its impolicy, wished to disarm without paying them. This 
would have been too great an humiliation for men who had 
performed their duties so well, and who kept aloof from the 
politics of the day. 

"In my opinion, the revolt was inevitable, under all the 
circumstances of the case; but we must admire the dis- 
cipline which triumphed over all its imminent peril, and se- 
cured to its leaders an almost glorious impunity. All this 
illustrated the excellent spirit which distinguishes our sub-offi- 
cers and soldiers, and which permits them to respect a substi- 
tution of power impossible in aristocratic armies." 

In thanking the chef de hataillon for his narration, we both 
agreed that the mutiny of Strasburg could never have taken 
place in any other army than the French without degenerating 
into a scene of fearful license and demoralization; and we 
separated for the night, with an offer from the old officer to 
introduce us on the next morning to another institution of the 
French army. 

This was the doyenne of those very useful ladies, the can- 
tinieres, then at the depot of the fourth of the line, — Ma- 
dame Therese Jourdan, veuve Patru, at that time ninety-five 
years old, who, notwithstanding her great age, suffered no par- 



268 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

ticular infirmity, enjoying all her mental and physical facul- 
ties. She had entered that regiment as cantiniere when four- 
teen, and had never since quitted it. Her husband, Capt. 
Patru, was killed at Lutzen ; and after his death she had 
resumed the hidon, which she had retained until about three 
years before we saw her, her great age no longer permitting 
her to serve la goutte to the soldiers. She enjoyed a small 
pension, contributed by the officers of the fourth, in gratitude 
for her services to the regiment. These services had been 
meritorious and extensive indeed ; for she had been an eye- 
witness of all the great scenes recorded in the history of the 
armies of the rftpublic and of the first empire. 



XXXV. 

EETUENIlSrG home in 1860, one of the last of those o 
whom I took leave in Paris was Major Philip Kearny. 
" You return," said he, " to take part in a long and sangui- 
nary civil war. The men of the South will consent to no other 
solution of the questions at issue. For years they have ac- 
customed themselves to the idea of an inevitable collision in 
defence of what they regard as their constitutional rights, as 
set forth in the pestilential doctrines and impracticable theo- 
ries of Calhoun. Abstractions they certainly are; but the 
South will expend all their strength and wealth in their sup- 
port. The politicians, both North and South, have so com- 
plicated the affairs of the nation for their own personal ends, 
that they cannot be adjusted by peaceful measures. The 
Gordian knot must be cut by the sword. Ignorant of the art 
of war in all its varied aspects as are the Northern people ; 
despising every trained soldier as a charlatan ; easily imposed 
upon by the most ignorant pretender to skill and experience 
in our profession, as they must necessarily be, owing to their 
lack of military education and exercises, — I have still a pre- 
sentiment that they will emerge victoriously from the contest. 
I know the Southern people well. I acknowledge, that, man 
for man, of the two peoples — for we are now two distinct 
peoples — they are the best soldiers : still, I know, that, in the 
administration of public affairs, there is nothing practical about 
them. In the end, their warlike energies will be wasted in 

23* 269 



270 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

the field from sheer ignorance of business-matters, sucli as the 
commissariat and its innumerable details ; and hence they will 
gain nothing by the superior martial qualities of their soldiers, 
which are undeniable. Go! You will be on the winning 
^' side ; and I shall soon be with you on the other side of the At- 
lantic. Somehow we will be triumphant ; and, should we live 
to the end of a three or four years' war, we shall see the coun- 
try settled on a new basis, stronger and more united than 
ever." 

I quote these words of Kearny to show the prevailing senti- 
ment among the old officers of the army and navy as to the 
result of the political imbroglio, and the probable duration of 
the war. The people of the North could not or would not 
then believe that any danger was threatened to themselves by 
the state of public affairs, and to the last hour went on with 
their business and social enjoyments in perfect confidence that 
they would be left undisturbed to pursue the even tenor of 
their way. They were confirmed in this security by the poli- 
ticians intrusted with the government, who assured their con- 
stituents that there would be no war, or a very little one ; and, 
thus re-assured, they kept on in their usual avocations with 
all the absorbing devotion to affairs that distinguishes our 
countrymen. The conspiracy grew and strengthened in the 
Southern States; while the imbecility of the administration 
encouraged the secessionists to perfect all their plans for a 
vast insurrection, until the attack on Fort Sumter aroused the 
sleeping North to a sense of the real condition of national 
affairs. 

All this has become a part of our annals ; and I shall con- 
fine myself to what I saw and experienced in the momentous 
events that succeeded the direct attack by the Southern con- 
spirators upon the nation's life, and the consequent uprising 
of the Northern people. Stimulated by the attitude of the 
North, the administration resorted to feeble and uncertain 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 271 

measures for defence, while continuing to assure the world, 
through the medium of the State department, that the war 
would be but a trivial affair of sixty or ninety days at farthest. 
How weak and contemptible these measures were was illus- 
trated in the hastily -equipped and undisciplined military mob 
which met its final discomfiture at Bull Run. This disgrace- 
ful affair, however, made it plain to the North that the men of 
the South were in terrible earnest ; that soldiers enlisted for 
three months' service were incompetent to check the insurrec- 
tion ; and that the much-vaunted militia-system could not be 
relied upon to furnish either officers or soldiers for regular war- 
fare. This latter national institution broke down at once, for 
the sufficient reason that it was impossible to mobilize it for 
service, although the people had been told by militia generals 
and Fourth-of-July orators, from the time of the Revolution, 
that it was perfect as a system of military defence. This was 
believed, because it is pleasant to imagine that we are all citi- 
zen-soldiers, subject to no such requisitions upon our time and 
personal service as are made in other countries, intended to 
familiarize the population with the rudiments of the military 
art, notwithstanding the same expedient had been tested and 
failed in 1812 and 1846. 

True, the same system prevailed at the South ; but it must 
be remembered, that, in that section, there flourished a higher 
martial spirit ; for in the war with Mexico, fourteen years be- 
fore, the Southern States furnished more than forty thousand 
men to the general service, while only about half that number 
was contributed by the more populous North. 

The danger was imminent, and must be met ; and, instead 
of a useless domestic military organization, a system still more 
objectionable was adopted, — that of volunteer regiments in 
sufficient number to fill the quotas of the several States, offi- 
cered by persons selected, not for their professional skill or 
experience, but according to the pecuniary aid they could ren- 



272 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

der in raising and equipping recruits, or their political influence. 
Men, material of war, and money, were lavishly offered: for 
the people had said to themselves, " This sort of thing must 
stop;" and they far outran the government in war-spirit and 
determination. 

Like others of my countrymen, I had already offered my 
services to the General Government ; but was assured they 
would not be required, as no increase of the navy was contem- 
plated. Having passed the age at which my enlistment as a 
private soldier could be legally permitted, and feeling bound 
to aid my country to the extent of my ability in the trials she 
was about to enter upon, after having been educated to the 
profession of arms in her service, I tendered my service to the 
governor of the State of my residence, and was appointed 
colonel of the Seventh ^ew-Jersey Volunteer Infantry. 

I joined my regiment at Trenton, and was mustered into 
the army "for three years or the war" on the 31st August, 
1861 ; entering upon my duties immediately at the camp near 
that place. E-ecruits came rapidly in, all men of the best 
class, — young, patriotic, and athletic, principally from the agri- 
cultural districts, — and all eager to begin their new career, and 
to acquire a knowledge of the duties of a soldier. They were 
far superior to those who enlisted at a subsequent date, when 
the highest bounties could attract to the service only inferior 
material. These men seemed to be conscious that they must 
take the affairs of the country into their own hands in order 
to retain their liberties, as well as to repel the charge of neg- 
lect of their honor which had been made against them. 

My ranks were soon filled up to the maximum strength ; 
and in less than a month we arrived in Washington, and en- 
camped on Meridian Hill. Instruction now began in earnest ; 
and in a few weeks I had the satisfaction of seeing my raw 
recruits transformed into tolerably proficient soldiers. I 
applied at once the principles of discipline I had learned in a 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 273 

hard school — the United-States navy — firmly and uncom- 
promisingly ; as I knew, that, once taught, they would never 
be forgotten. No fault was condoned or pardoned ; but certain 
punishment, swiftly and surely applied, followed every infrac- 
tion of the rules established for the government of the army. 
In a very short time the men understood this : and the result 
was eminently satisfactory; for punishment ceased almost 
entirely. It was very hard for these young men to stand 
sentinel for eight hours together with loaded knapsacks, to be 
made " living statuary " on a pork-barrel for a pedestal, and 
to endure other penalties known to military discipline ; but 
the lessons of such experience were lasting, and the recruit 
who had once gone through the course enjoyed immunity 
ever afterwards. The general condition of the army at this 
time was deplorable ; and the large force collected, although 
of excellent raw material, but little better than a mere mob. 
Desertion was a common occurrence among officers as well as 
soldiers ; and the streets of Washington were filled with per- 
sons in uniform, who, by their reckless behavior, evinced not 
only total disregard of military discipline, but also of the 
claims of respectability, and even decency. 

Of the regular officers of the army, few had ever seen a 
whole regiment together in the field ; while their knowledge 
of garrison-duty was acquired in some frontier post in the Far 
West, or a fort occupied by two or three companies. Gen. 
McClellan was charged with reducing this mass of heteroge- 
neous elements to order; and he accomplished his task in 
about three months, converting the mob into an efficient and 
disciplined army. When he assumed command in the sum- 
mer of 1861, the troops in and around Washington consisted 
of about fifty thousand infantry, seven hundred cavalry, and 
six hundred artillerymen, with thirty guns ; while their only 
organization was the same defective one of "provisional bri- 
gades " as at Bull Kun. There was literally no nucleus of 



274 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

regulars to form upon ; for tlie army had been utterly disor- 
ganized by secession. It was necessary, therefore, to begin ah 
initio^ to form an army on a scale which the nation had never 
dreamed of To say that McClellan acquitted himself cred- 
itably in this colossal work is to accord him scant justice : for 
the fact is, that his achievement was one which entitles him to 
a place in the first rank of soldiers ; and its excellent results 
were apparent in the army up to its final dissolution. 

He at once established a stringent police-system, applying 
it to all ranks ; sent inefficient and objectionable officers before 
boards of examination ; instituted a course of instruction ; and 
kept the troops in their respective camps and posts. Grand 
guards and picket-duty was regularly performed ; and, in 
course of time, the troops offered a creditable spectacle to the 
military critic. Without dwelling on this subject, let it suf- 
fice to say, that, at the end of three months, McClellan found 
himself at the head of an efficient army of a hundred thou- 
sand infantry, ten thousand cavalry, and twelve thousand ar- 
tillerymen, with five hundred guns. There was, besides, an 
engineer-corps with pontoon and wagon trains, conducted by 
competent officers of the quartermaster and commissary de- 
partments ; and the ordnance was abundantly supplied with 
reserve ammunition and supply-trains. This bare statement 
of the enormous amount of labor achieved in an incredibly 
short space of time hardly conveys an adequate idea of its 
proportions, except to practical military men ; and, for this 
reason, McClellan's reputation is higher abroad than at home. 
What I have summed up here by no means comprises all this 
intelligent officer's labors in the period named ; for a system 
of defences was planned and executed under his direction, by 
which Washington was completely covered from attack, the 
works forming a line of circumvallation over thirty-three 
miles in extent. These earthworks — consisting of detached 
and engaged fortifications connected with curtains, provided 



KEEL AND SADDLE. 275 

with bastions, redoubts, and wide ditches — were armed with 
heavy cannon, and were estimated for a garrison of seventy- 
thousand men. Later they saved the capital from capture 
by the confederates, and permitted Grant to keep a tight 
grasp upon the throat of the waning insurrection before 
Petersburg, without weakening his army by detaching troops 
for the defence of Washington. 

In point of discipline and organization, the Army of the 
Potomac made no improvement under the successors of Mc- 
Clellan, although it achieved more decisive results in the 
field : and we have the emphatic declaration of the most illus- 
trious of them, — Meade, — that, " had there been no Mc- 
Clellan, there could have been no Grant ; for the former 
fashioned the weapons with which the work was performed." 

At this point I have thought it best to close the record of 
my military service. The career of the Army of the Poto- 
mac is matter of history ; and I could add little to the nume- 
rous and detailed accounts of its sufferings and its triumphs. 
But there is another and more potent reason which bids me 
pause here. I could not tell the story of my connection with 
that army with the judicial impartiality which should charac- 
terize the historian and the narrator of grave events. I 
could not withhold denunciation of incompetency and per- 
fidy. I could not write of the first two years of the war with- 
out giving utterance to righteous indignation, aroused by the 
wickedness of men in high places, which hampered the 
army, and protracted the civil strife far beyond its necessary 
limits. 

I served in the army until after the battle of Chancellors- 
ville, participating in all its important engagements, and, the 
greater part of the time, commanding a brigade. At the battle 
above named, I was an involuntary witness of an event which 
had an important bearing on the issue of the war, and which 
has been the subject of prolonged controversy. I refer to the 



276 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

death of Stonewall Jackson. The circumstances under which 
I acquired the right to give testimony in the matter were some- 
what remarkable ; and I here give a full statement of them. 

The left of my brigade-line lay near the plank-road at Chan- 
cellorsville ; and, after night had fallen, I rode forward, ac- 
cording to my invariable habit, to inspect my picket-line. The 
moon had risen, and partially illuminated the woods. I began 
my inspection on the right of the picket-line, progressing grad- 
ually to the left, where I stopped to rectify the post of a sentinel 
not far from the plank-road. While thus engaged, I heard the 
sound of hoofs from the direction of the enemy's line, and 
paused to listen. Soon a cavalcade appeared approaching us. 
The foremost horseman detached himself from the main body, 
which halted not far from us, and, riding cautiously nearer, 
seemed to try to pierce the gloom. He was so close to us, that 
the soldier nearest me levelled his rifle for a shot at him ; but I 
forbade him, as I did not wish to have our position revealed ; 
and it would have been useless to kill the man, whom I judged 
to be a staff-officer making a reconnoissance. 

Having completed his observations, this person rejoined the 
group in his rear, and all returned at a gallop. The clatter of 
hoofs soon ceased to be audible ; and the silence of the night 
was unbroken, save by the melancholy cries of the whippoorwill, 
which were heard in one continued wail, like spirit-voices; 
when the horizon was lighted up by a sudden flash in the 
direction of the enemy, succeeded by the well-known rattle of 
a volley of musketry from at least a battalion. A second volley 
quickly followed the first ; and I heard cries in the same direc- 
tion. 

Fearing that some of our troops might be in that locality, 
and that there was danger of our firing upon friends, I left my 
orderly, and rode towards the confederate lines. 

A riderless horse dashed past me towards our lines ; and I 
reined up in presence of a group of several persons gathered 



KEEL AND SADDLE, 211 

around a man lying on the ground, apparently badly wounded. 
I saw at once that these were confederate officers, and visions 
of the Libby began to flit through my mind ; but reflecting 
that I was well armed and mounted, and that I had on the 
great-coat of a private soldier such as was worn by both par- 
ties, I sat still, regarding the group in silence, but prepared to 
use either my spurs or my sabre, as occasion might demand. • 

The silence was broken by one of the confederates, who ap- 
peared to regard me with astonishment : then, speaking in a 
tone of authority, he ordered me to "ride up there and see what 
troops those were," indicating the rebel position. I instantly 
made a gesture of assent, and rode slowly in the direction indi- 
cated, until out of sight of the group ; then made a circuit round 
it, and returned within my own lines. Just as I had answered 
the challenge of our picket, the section of our artillery posted 
on the plank-road began firing; and I could plainly hear the 
grape crashing through the trees near the spot occupied by the 
group of confederate officers. 

About a fortnight afterwards, I saw a Richmond newspaper 
at the camp at Falmouth, in which were detailed the circum- 
stances of the death of Stonewall Jackson. These left no doubt 
in my own mind that the person I had seen lying on the 
ground was that officer, and that his singular prediction — 
mentioned previously in these pages — had been verified. 

The following is an extract from the newspaper account : — 

" Gen. Jackson, having gone some distance in front of his 
line on Saturday evening, was returning about eight o'clock, 
attended by his staff. The cavalcade was, in the darkness, 
mistaken for a body of the enemy's cavalry, and fired on by a 
regiment of his own corps." 

Then, after detailing what took place after the general fell 
from his horse, the account proceeds : — 

" The turnpike was utterly deserted, with the exception of 
Capts. Wilbourn and Wynn j but, in the skirting of thicket on 
24 



278 KEEL AND SADDLE. 

the left, some person was observed by tbe side of the wood, 
sitting his horse motionless and silent. The unknown indi- 
vidual was clad in a dark dress, which strongly resembled 
the federal uniform ; but it seemed impossible that he could 
have penetrated to that spot without being discovered, and 
what followed seemed to prove that he belonged to the con- 
federates. Capt. Wilbourn directed him to ride up there 
and see what troops those were, — the men who fired on Jack- 
son; and the stranger rode slowly in the direction pointed 
out, but never returned with any answer. Who this silent 
personage was is left to posterity," &c. — Hichmond Enquirer^ 
May 12, 1863. 

Jackson's death happened in strange coincidence with his 
horoscopic prediction made years before : but the coincidence 
was, I believe, merely fortuitous ; and I mention it here only 
to show what mysterious " givings-out " we sometimes experi- 
ence in life. 



PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES. 



279 



PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES. 



AFTER the disastrous repulse of Burnside before the 
confederate works at Fredericksburg, the Army of the 
Potomac returned to its cantonments in Stafford County, Va. ; 
and the work of its re-organization began under Hooker, who 
had succeeded to the command only to repeat the blunders of 
his predecessor at Chancellorsville. 

The place chosen for the winter encampment of the army 
was a Gul de sac between the embouchures of the Potomac and 
the Rappahannock ; which rivers formed the two sides of a tri- 
angle, of which it was necessary to guard the base only to be 
perfectly safe from an attack. The disadvantage of the position 
was, that the army could not leave it without crossing the wide 
and deep Eappahannock, the fords of which were all carefully 
guarded by the vigilant enemy. 

The country north and east of Fredericksburg was guarded 
by a strong picket-force of our troops, extending from the 
E-appahannock to the Potomac ; while our cavalry patrolled its 
front for twenty miles along the left bank of the former river. 

Picket-duty was performed in turn by detachments from all 
the corps of the army, comprising a brigade of infantry; and 
a general commanded the whole grand guard, whose temporary 
headquarters were at a farm-house a few hundred yards to the 
rear of • the line. 

Fires, and smoking even, being forbidden while on picket- 

24* 281 



282 PUFFS FROM PICKET- PIPES. 

duty at the advanced posts, a pipe was invented by some in- 
genious soldier, the muzzle of which was turned down, instead 
of upward, as in ordinary pipes ; and, this being covered, no 
fire was visible to any person in the vicinity of the smoker. 
These were called picket-pipes ; and were skilfully carved by 
the men from laurel-roots, and from a soft white stone com- 
mon in that region. 

The farmhouse mentioned was resorted to by the loungers on 
picket-duty ; and beneath its roof many a thrilling tale of ad- 
venture on the debatable ground in our front, travelled in 
every direction by our scouts and outpost patrols, and those 
of the enemy, was told to eager hearers. 

Story-telling is a favorite amusement both of soldiers and 
sailors in their idle moments ; and a skilful narrator is sure of 
attentive and interested listeners in such an audience, espe- 
cially if he relates his own personal experiences, as not un- 
commonly happens. 

I have often regretted that I did not take notes of many 
" yarns " I have thus heard from the lips of some who possessed 
the talent of story-telling not inferior to that of the Eastern 
professional raconteurs I have often seen in the coffee-houses of 
the Levant, whose language I could not understand, but whose 
graceful and vivid pantomime could hardly be misinterpreted. 

One fine moonlight night at my headquarters, during my 
turn of duty on picket, a group of officers were enjoying their 
pipes, when it was proposed to vary the evening's amusements 
by story-telling, — it being stipulated that each one should 
draw upon his own experience for his material ; and, the party 
being tired of euchre and other games, the proposition was 
received with universal favor. 

As in military councils and court-martials, the youngest was 
deputed to speak first; and a young lieutenant of artillery 
accordingly began, with the usual apologies of youth and 
inexperience, as follows : — 



THE LIEUTENANT'S STORY. 

LIKE most of my comrades in the volunteer army, I was 
not brought up to the military profession, hut adopted it 
under pressure of the times which have found us all so un- 
prepared. Indeed, I may say that I never have thought seri- 
ously of adopting any career involving great trials, hazards, 
and privations ; least of all, the army. 

After finishing my education, I passed the time as agree- 
ably as I could at home and abroad, without a thought that my 
idling was ever to end, or our country to be disturbed in its 
seeming ease and quietude. 

Only the year before the breaking-out of this war, being in 
Paris, I lodged at the Hotel de Bade on the Italian Boulevard, 
where I met persons of an entirely diiFerent class from those 
who frequent those caravanceras in which Americans delight 
to spend their time and their apparently inexhaustible sup- 
plies of ready money, without, I fear, receiving in return a 
quid pro quo, in most cases. 

Strange to say, I had never, as yet, witnessed a scene said 
to be the gayest in the world, and which every one who visits 
the rollicking French capital is familiar with from the start, 
stranger or Frenchman, although I had been for several years 
an habitue of Paris. 

The truth is, I had most agreeable society at my command, 
and cared not to resort to public amusements to pass away 
time, then of some value to me, employed as I was in acquir- 

283 



284 PUFFS FROM PICKET- PIPES, 

ing educational and social informationj varied by amusements 
peculiar to the French people, but hardly appreciated by for- 
eigners. Shall I say that the latter are hardly sufficiently 
advanced in civilization to profit by the advantages alluded to ? 
the majority, at least, of those who visit France in the capacity 
of ordinary tourists. 

I had heard among my acquaintances that intrigue of the 
old sort — • that of vrhich we read in works of fiction and the 
like — was dead at present in Paris, and that new fashions 
had taken place of the old modes, not only in dress, but in 
manners. 

It was, then, simple curiosity, or that indefinable feeling 
which moves us toward any thing unknown or mysterious, that 
impelled my steps to the E-ue Lepelletier, to witness, for the 
first time, the great hal d^ opera. I entered the salle soon 
after its opening at midnight. I was in plain evening-dress, 
and, of course, unmasked ; and strolled about for some hours, 
amused and diverted by the motley scenes around me, the 
grotesqueness of the maskers, and the vigorous and exagger- 
ated style of the dancers, — whole quadrilles seeming to have 
lost their senses. 

Soon wearying of these gymnastics, imported from the Latin 
quarter, and that of Breda, I strolled out into the lobby. 

At the door I was detained by a crowd of revellers ; and on 
the domino of one of them — a female masker — my button 
became so entangled, that it was necessary to tear it (the fabric) 
in order to extricate ourselves. The fair mask herself gave 
me the needed assistance, and endured the tearing of the ricli 
texture without a protest, as if it were indifferent to her. I 
had already seen enough of the ball. The mien of the masker 
interested me. We exchanged a few words, which convinced 
me of her intelligence ; and, willing to be amused, I finished 
by offering my arm, which was accepted with nonchalance, 
rather unpropitious, I thought, for the perfection of a better 
acquaintance. 



THE LIEUTENANT'S STORY, 285 

We finally took seats in a cabinet occupied by a few couples, 
who seemed entirely too much interested in their own affairs 
to desire to interfere with our privacy. For my part, I im- 
agined that my fair partner was of that large and influential 
class in Paris whose proverbial extravagance and "speed" 
have won for them a name of which I could never see the 
aptness, — the " half-world." 

I could now examine at leisure the appearance of my com- 
panion, so far as it was not concealed by her mask and the 
folds of her domino. I could see that she was tall and slen- 
der, and that her movements were undulating and full of 
grace. Her toilet was admirable, although severely simple. 
Her domino was of black satin, the camail trimmed with ex- 
quisite lace, — the fairy net which had caught me at first, — 
and her mask of the same, with a thick harbe, through which 
I could see neither her hair, nor even the tint of her com- 
plexion. 

She was irreproachably gantee, and her small feet delicately 
shod with slippers that might have been worn by Cinderella. 
Her air was that of a woman, not of the half, but of the whole 
world, who was accustomed to good society, and unfamiliar 
with these assemblies. We began to converse ; and, to my 
astonishment, I found that my name and country were not 
unknown to her. However, I would deny neither : indeed, I 
saw it would have been useless. 

The lady knew me, as the saying is, "like a book," and 
sketched my character and some of the incidents of my life ; 
urged me to correct certain faults she pointed out to me, and 
of whose existence I was fully conscious ; and, in short, gave me 
most excellent advice, without inflicting a single wound on 
my amour propre. 

Every trace of hesitation and apathy soon disappeared ; and 
she showed such sagacity, such refinement, such delicacy of 
expression and of feeling, that I was stupefied. 



286 PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES. 

Gliding from topic to topic, she passed in review society, 
literature, the opera, and the publicists of the day, relating 
many anecdotes a propos of each, and uttering the most spar- 
kling witticisms with a grace of attitude and manner quite 
irresistible. 

Dazzled by such brilliancy, I kept silence, and merely list- 
ened in delighted wonder. 

" Is it possible that I do not know you, — you who know me 
so well ? " I said at length, impatient of my enforced passive- 
ness in our tete-a-tete. 

" You do not know me, I assure you," returned the mask. 
" If I should show you my face, you would see it for the first 
time." 

" Where, then, have you learned what you have revealed to 
me ? Are you a sorceress ? " 

"Perhaps; or I may have divined what I have said to you 
by my knowledge of human nature. Do you fancy yourself 
the only object of my study ? " 

I did not dare to discuss the question ; and the demand gave 
me no time to reply in fitting terms. 

She changed the subject, opened a new chapter, and exhib- 
ited herself under a new face. Never did chameleon change 
more quickly, or with better effect. Engrossed by the con- 
versation, I heeded not the jests of the passers, nor replied to 
several direct attacks by the merry maskers ; and, when the 
last harlequin and pierrot retired arm in arm, was startled to 
hear an intimation that the ball had closed, and that it was 
necessary for us to withdraw. 

" Already ! " exclaimed my new acquaintance. 

We had been talking for five hours. 

" Permit me to see you home ? " I said. 

"Impossible !" 

" Shall I never see you again ? " 

" I will think of it." 



THE LIEUTENANT'S STORY, 287 

" You will not tell me who you are ? " 

She made a gesture of negation. 

" Ah, cruel one ! you take possession of me, turn my head, 
and then abandon me as a child throws away a toy of which 
he is weary. Well, I shall not submit. I will follow you, 
learn who you are, and force you to avow yourself, to receive 
me, to love me. After such a delightful evening as we have 
passed together, I cannot look forward to indifference and 
oblivion between us. Decide, then, and accept my escort, or 
I will force it upon you ! Come, decide ! " 

" You would not do that, I am sure ; but, if you did, I should 
succeed in evading you. On the contrary, you must leave me 
here free, and give your word of honor not to seek to know 
me, or who I am : in that case, I will make you two conces- 
sions greater than you could have hoped for ; although, indeed, 
I had long since resolved to grant them when you had earned 
them." 

"What are they?" 

" I will return here next Saturday ; and I will give you my 
portrait until then. You can look at it when I am no longer 
near you. Do you consent ? " 

I made her repeat thrice the promise to return. I received 
from her hand a card photograph in a sealed and perfumed 
envelope; and, such was my eagerness to behold the linea- 
ments hidden by the mask, that I rushed towards a gas- 
burner, and tore open the envelope. The original took advan- 
tage of my movement, and disappeared in the dense crowd 
hastening towards the entrance of the opera. After a hasty 
glance at the portrait, I returned to the spot where I had left 
my companion ; but she was already gone, and a search for 
her would have been hopeless. 

I went to the Cafe Cardinal on the Boulevard, and drew 
forth my picture again. I was stupefied by my good fortune. 
The portrait represented a most lovely and bewitching face and 



288 PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES. 

form, — a poet's dream. " Thanks to Minerva and to Venus ! " I 
said under my breath. Such a divine face, and such an 
intellect ! I could hardly believe it possible ; yet here was 
the ocular proof. Like a miser, I bore my treasure home, and 
tried to sleep. I could not. I gazed again and again at the 
beautiful face, recalled the five hours that had sped so quickly, 
and decided that I could not wait a week to see my inamorata. 
I must discover her immediately, or lose my senses. 

You may laugh, gentlemen, but most of you know not the 
fierce ebullitions of the sang Gaulois in the veins of a youth 
of nineteen. Now, indeed, I should patiently wait for the 
rendezvous a week, perhaps a fortnight. 

Next morning, taking with me the precious photograph, I 
visited three somnambulists and two clairvoyants. Each told 
me a different story, and sent me in different directions to 
search for my mysterious beauty. I must try again. The 
card I received did not bear the name of the photographer ; 
but it must have been made at some one of the several 
fashionable establishments of Paris. I visited them all. 
First, Nadar. I had no eyes for the curiosities and marvels 
assembled in his atelier, which is one of the sights of Paris ; 
no admiration for any other beauties than those of my mis- 
tress. I drew out my caHe de visite ; asked the master 
whether it was his work, and whether he could name the 
original of the picture, or give me any other information 
concerning it. 

"Monsieuv" saifl t-v artist, "if I made this portrait, and 
did not sign it, as is my usual custom, I must have done so for 
especial reasons : if I did not make it, I have no right to 
claim the merit of its production. You understand ? I regret 
to say that I cannot reply to your question. As to naming the 
person you desire to know, that would be still more out of the 
question. We are a sort of father-confessors, we photographers, 
and never reveal the secrets confided to us. I am indeed de- 



THE LIEUTENANT'S STORY. 289 

sole that I cannot oblige you ; but a little reflection will con- 
vince you that I am quite in the line of duty." 

From Disderi, from Ken, from Dagron, I received the same 
answer in substance ; and my visits to other establishments 
had no more encouraging results. I went home in despair. 

Where or to whom should I address myself for a solution 
of the mystery ? After some hours of perplexity, I applied 
to an intimate friend, who finally introduced me to a gentle- 
man distinguished for his perspicacity and intelligence, and 
who knew his Paris a fond. My friend informed me that 
this person's sagacity amounted almost to the Scottish gift 
of second-sight, while his amiability was proverbial. 

My researches in different directions had occupied all the 
intervening days; so that it was on the last day before the hal 
cf opera that I met this gentleman, by appointment, at the 
Cafe Foy. 

He heard my story to the end without saying a word, 
only looking meditatively at the famous swallow, painted by 
Horace Vernet on the ceiling of that celebrated restaurant, 
for some time ; and then the oracle spoke : — 

" Go to the rendezvous to-morrow ; and, as soon as you see 
your domino, say to her, ^ It pleases me : I am enchanted with 
it. Present me. ' " 

Here was another enigma for my already puzzled imagina- 
tion ; but in vain I entreated my Mentor for an explanation. 

" I will be at the ball," said he. " I will wait in box number 
twenty at precisely three hours after midnight. Come then, 
and tell me the effect you have produced, and you shall know 
all." 

I was forced to be content with this direction and assurance, 
and retired from the interview with grave doubts as to the 
faith of my friend. 

Saturday, midnight, the hour for the opening of the masked 
ball at the opera, came at last, finding me punctually at my 

25 



290 PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES. 

post, eagerly looking for tlie black domino. I must have had 
a very distrait air ; for I was honored by many comments by 
the crowd, which I thought very ill timed. It seemed as if 
a tawdry sultana, who seemed to have marked me for her 
particular prey, would never cease persecuting me. 

At last I caught sight of the sheen of satin, and of a tall, 
graceful figure, which could belong to no other than my 
domino noir. Parting brusquely from my Oriental houri, I 
advanced towards her, grasped her hand, and led her aside 
with a palpitating heart. 

I quite forgot the enigmatical phrase I had been instructed 
to utter ; and it only occurred to me when she announced to me 
her intention of retiring early from the ball. 

Hoping to retain her by these words, which I imagined to 
be a sort of " Open sesame," I repeated them to her. The lady 
was evidently surprised, complete woman of the world though 
she was. She made a movement as if embarrassed, but re- 
mained silent for a few moments. 

" I do not comprehend you," said she in a troubled voice. 

" You seem, on the contrary, to comprehend me admirably ; " 
much better, I thought mentally, than I comprehend myself. 
" What is your reply ? " 

The answer was confused and hesitating : it rendered 
matters more obscure between us than ever : and soon after, in 
a place where the dense crowd hardly permitted individuals to 
be distinguished, the lady wound suddenly, like a hare, through 
the groups, and disappeared. 

I was eager to have all this explained, as you may suppose ; 
and hastened to box number twenty, where I found my friend 
and guide in the ever-changing and mysterious kaleidoscope 
called Paris. 

I believed that I had lost my inamorata forever, and was 
somewhat inclined to reproach him as the cause, even while 
imploring him to conceal nothing from me if he did not wish 



THE LIEUTENANT'S STORY. 291 

me to become an inmate of Charenton. His coolness provoked 
me. 

" My dear young friend," said he, " I was not mistaken, as 
you have seen ; and you shall be enlightened on the situation 
without further suspense. 

" The woman who captivated you was neither more nor less 
than a marriage-broker. She has a commission (among others) 
to unite a poor young girl to a rich young man. She has intel- 
lect : the girl has beauty. She begins the spell of fascination 
in person, wearing a mask ; for, notwithstanding her elegant 
figure, I will lay a heavy wager she is old and wrinkled : the 
face will finish the work. By the aid of love for beauty in the 
abstract, you could have been so blinded to the deception, that 
the affair would have gone on until it was too late to withdraw. 
That is the whole mystery. I suspected it at once from your 
story. No girl of sixteen, such as that portrait represents, could 
have the skill and knowledge of the world of your siren. I ad- 
vised you to apply the test ; and it has succeeded. You may 
now imagine what these women of the world, disappointed as 
to matrimony, are capable of. 

" I once knew a certain countess who possessed two or three 
chef d^cBuvres of art. She lay in wait for amateurs, inti- 
mating her possession of these treasures, and her desire to sell 
them. When they came to view them at her apartments, she 
received them charmingly, and showed the pictures skilfully dis- 
posed in a dim light. Then, accidentally as it were, she intro- 
duced them to a magnificent creature, who looked her part as 
well as the countess played hers. She often failed, of course, 
and results were not always what she hoped for ; but, if the plan 
succeeded once or twice, her profit was considerable. 

" Your domino belongs to this school. Thank Heaven ! your 
eyes have been opened before it is too late. Believe me, I am 
sufficiently rewarded if I have succeeded in unmasking this 
daring imposture ; and you will, I know, do me the favor to 



292 PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES, 

warn other possible victims of this one of the many snares 
that beset their paths. 

" It would be very disagreeable to a worthy man to find that 
he was married to a pretty fool, when he thought he had 
secured both beauty and intellect in the same person." 

The Mentor then took his leave, and I suddenly came upon 
the intimate friend I have already mentioned. I was now com- 
pletely cured of my illusion, and warmly thanked him for an 
introduction to so clear-headed and sagacious a man as he who 
had just left us. " Ah ! " said my friend, " he is indeed sur- 
prising in his wits, and has the most superb sang-froid I ever 
saw in mortal man. Last summer, at Baden, I had played 
heavily, and lost so much that serious consequences threatened, 
which rendered me more desperate. Your friendly adviser was 
in the cursal, looking on with his usual imperturbability. At 
last I was reduced to a single louis, and turned to him madly, 
demanding his advice where to bet my last coin. " My friend," 
answered he gravely, " as you ask me as your friend, I can only 
answer the appeal by advising you to — put it in your pocket." 

At the close of the lieutenant's story, few comments were 
made. The denoument was rather unexpected to his audi- 
tors, most of whom were scarcely well enough informed to 
appreciate so peculiar a phase of life in the most refined 
capital of the world. 

The puffing of the pipes alone indicated that many of the 
company were not napping ; although the story had produced 
a soporific effect in a few cases. 

An artillery-officer of the regular army was the next volun- 
teer raconteur in our nocturnal confabulations. A section of 
his battery lay not far in our rear ; and he had strolled to our 
biovouac that night in quest of amusement, and to escape from 
the monotony of his camp. 

We will entitle his narrative 



THE ARTILLERY- OFFICER'S STORY. 

I AM a graduate of the United-States Military Academy at 
West Pointj and a Virginian by birth. It is likely that 
most of the people of my native State would deem me recreant 
to the land of my fathers, and an invader of the " sacred soil.'* 
But I think that true patriotism consists in something broader* 
than one's obligation to any single State of our glorious Union, 
and can very well support the odium, if any justly falls upon 
me. I have never believed the mad doctrines of Calhoun and 
his followers, who have succeeded in shifting the theatre of war 
from their own States to poor old Virginia, who now endures 
its terrors and devastations. Neither do I approve of the con- 
duct of many of my former brother-officers in raising sacrilegious 
hands to destroy the fairest fabric of human government ever 
devised by man, and thus violating their military oaths. 

But I will not detain you, gentlemen, by entering into a dis- 
cussion upon the merits or demerits of the two great parties 
now contending for the mastery in this our fair and great 
country, but will enter at once upon my story. 

Fifteen years ago I was at the Military Academy, in the 
lowest class ; of which Leonard Mason was also a member. 
Our parents resided in Williamsburg ; and it so happened that 
we entered the institution at the same time. 

The life of most men, let us hope, is brighter at its close than 
at its beginning, emerging from the grossness and cruelty of 
the schoolboy and the passions of youth into the light of reason 
and knowledge ; but he of whom I speak was not so fortunate. 

25* 293 



294 PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES. 

The heiglit lie reached was amidst thunder-clouds ; and the 
road before him was no lighter, though his ascent was only- 
misty, and his starting-point lay open to the sun. 

He was, indeed, a glorious boy, with spirits inexhaustible as 
long as his pocket-money lasted ; and both spirits and money 
were ever at the service of his friends. He was " too clever by- 
half " for the majority of his companions, and was snubbed and 
bullied in consequence, but had a little knot of ardent admirers 
all his own. Such is the lot of most wits at school, where prac- 
tical jokes and drinking-songs are chiefly acceptable, and higher 
kinds of humor are stigmatized by the all-degrading term " face- 
tiousness.'' 

" What may your name be ? " drawled a cadet corporal to 
Leonard Mason shortly after his installation at the " Point " 
as a raw " plebe ; " the question being an official one. 

" It may be Sancho Panza ; but it isn't," replied the youth ; 
and he was punished immediately after for the repartee. 

He soon became popular among the cadets, however, by 
reason of his many good qualities, — his generosity, activity, 
and beauty, — a gift which prepossesses boys in favor of its 
possessor, as it does the lowest classes and savages, in an 
eminent degree. 

I seem to see him now at " Bennie's," where every enemy 
of the digestive organs had abode, " standing treat " to all 
comers with a smile of welcome, or bounding over the plateau, 
with his golden hair streaming in the wind, and his eyes lit up 
with the light that glows from a happy heart. 

Almost all Virginians are especially good at every thing in 
the sporting way ; and their devotion to cards almost reaches 
the dignity of a culte. Leonard Mason was emphatically a 
son of the Old Dominion in this respect, and was also passion- 
ately fond of every game of chance. He would have raffled off 
his teeth if he could have got anybody to put in for them ; and 
was constantly devising ways and means of evading the army- 



THE ARTILLERY-OFFICER'S STORY, 295 

regulations against gambling. He cut slips of paper, inscrib- 
ing them with the names of running horses, on the eve of 
every great race, for " sweep " purposes ; and, despite the strict 
discipline to which we were subject, contrived to use them 
secretly. If a pack of cards was discovered and confiscated, 
Leonard was sure to have introduced them. He cut dice out 
of India-rubber (to secure silence in playing), and invented 
a hundred games with slate and pencil, for school-times. 
Having secretly manufactured a cribbage-board, he was one 
night engaged in that enticing game with a friend, after taps, 
by the light of a tallow dip carefully veiled ; and so absorbed 
were the two in their amusement, that they did not perceive 
the approach of the " rounds." Suddenly they heard a terrible 
voice above them, — " Two for his heels ! " for Leonard's adver- 
sary had omitted to mark the knave ; and the " rounds " had 
become so interested a spectator, that he couldn't help rectify- 
ing the error. They were very much alarmed at the time ; 
but Leonard Mason never took the incident, as did the other, 
for a warning. 

But " we all have our weak points," we all said ; and his is 
the pleasure he takes in losing his own money, or in winning 
other people's to spend it for their entertainment: and for 
my part, when I look back, there were none whose companion- 
ship I enjoyed more than that of Leonard Mason. 

When we had climbed to the senior class. Mason had 
grown graceful and handsome, and his many accomplishments 
were fully recognized. It would have been impossible to 
select a more deservedly popular man than he. He ex- 
celled in his studies ; he was an excellent soldier, a fluent 
speaker, a tolerable musician, a passable poet, a good cavalier, 
an excellent pool-player ; and, in short, promised to become 
one of those " admirable Crichtons " who from time to time 
dart meteor-like athwart the academic course, and then dis- 
appear, utterly lost in the darkness of the outer world. 



296 PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES. 

In all our exercises and manly games, Leonard Mason was 
pre-eminent among his fellows j and often, as I saw him at the 
finish, breathless, and with heightened color, his broad chest 
rising and falling like a wave, I thought I had never seen a 
more splendid specimen of young manhood. His sparkling 
eyes, and honest, hearty laugh, inspired the belief that he was 
one who would not slip or fall from honor even on the "turf" 
itself. In our stolen pleasure-trips to Bennie's, or across the 
river, he was always the leading spirit ; and at the former 
place, where shakes the well-worn bagatelle-board on its 
uncertain legs in the sanded parlor, his egg-flip and apple- 
toddy were allowed to be the best. And where the lawn 
slopes down to the river's ^^%Q, there he sang the songs we 
loved to hear, such as suited careless youth. He was the soul 
of all our jovial company. As we stole home to the cadet- 
barracks after one of these nights out, and effected our en- 
trance, I said, — 

"You make the hours fly fast, Leonard: that's one 
o'clock." 

" The quarter to only, I'll bet a dollar," said he. 

After our graduation, I gave a supper-party in honor of 
the great event, at Delmonico's, in New York. Leonard Ma- 
son did not arrive at the time appointed, and we sat down 
without him ; for nobody waits on such occasions. 

We began to talk of the absent, as the mode is ; and I, 
thinking there could be no harm in a playful kick at snch a 
favorite, offered to lay a wager that Mason was detained by 
cards. 

" I wouldn't like to be his adversary," said one. 

" Nor I his partner," said another, "lest Old Nick should 
fly away with us with pardonable freedom ; for he has the 
Devil's own luck." 

"Yes J and the Devil's own play too," said a third 
sulkily. 



THE ARTILLERY-OFFICER'S STORY. 297 

" It doesn't keep him from the duns, at all events," added 
the man next to me. " I dare say some pertinacious tailor is 
waiting for ^im now on the staircase ; and that's what makes 
him late, after all." 

Much distressed by this news and the tone of these re- 
marks, I requested further information. I learned that Ma- 
son was not so popular as he used to be ; and since he left West 
Point, some months before, had joined a fast set, to whom it 
was supposed he had lost considerable sums ; was certainly in 
pecuniary difficulties, and very much changed in manners 
and appearance. Further information was cut short by the 
entrance of Mason himself. 

If I had not been expecting him, and no other, I doubt if I 
should have known him, so altered was his person in a few 
short months. His face was very pale and haggard ; his eyes 
— brighter than ever — were set in deep, black circles; and 
his clothes hung loosely on his limbs. He welcomed me 
however, with all his old cordiality, and threw about the 
arrows of his wit as usual: they were more barbed than of 
old ; the sheet-lightning had become forked. 

The conversation turned upon a graduate of the Military 
Academy who had taken holy orders. The same fellow who 
had complained of "the Devil's own play" announced his 
intention of following the example. 

"Strange," said Mason, "that such 'fast' men should 
take holy orders ! and, still more singular, how rapid is the 
metamorphosis ! The French prints, the gold-mounted whips, 
the colored clothes, are sold at a frightful sacrifice ; and a 
brand-new divine launched the next morning. What a pity 
to throw away that exquisite taste of yours " — addressing 
the man who had announced his intentions — "on the merest 
black and white ! " 

The latter had on a gay red necktie. 

He said many things of this sort in a semi-savage manner 



298 PUFFS FROM PICKET- PIPES. 

while drinking off glass after glass v€ry rapidly. Some of 
the company were not more backward either in retort or in 
drinking ; and I was soon obliged to interfere in my capacity 
as host. 

" He said I was a greater fool than I looked ! " 

"Who said so?" "So you are!" "Shame, shame!" 
" Here's a lark ! " " Go it while you're young ! " and other 
like expressions burst forth from every side ; until at last I 
volunteered an opinion "free, gratis, for nothing," which 
quelled them on the principle of counter-irritation, and ob- 
tained for me a hearing. 

" I am sure Mason will apologize for that remark of his," 
I said. " We are all old academy-friends ; and we have not 
come here to discuss quarrels, but oysters and" — 

" He called me — he called me," hiccoughed one, " a greater 
fool than I looked ! " 

" My dear fellow," said Mason, holding out his hand over 
the table in the most affectionate manner, "I retract that 
observation altogether : you are not such a fool as you look ! 
That every body knows ! " 

The offended party endeavored to explain that he was per- 
fectly satisfied ; and the party broke up amid shouts of laugh- 
ter and in high good-humor. 

We sallied into the streets. 

" I have left a few men at my rooms to-night," said Mason ; 
" and, if you will join them in a game at vingt-et-un^ come at 
once, before they have left." 

I was anxious to see the sort of company he kept ; and we 
adjourned, accordingly, to his apartments, which were near. 

Six or seven men sat around his table as he entered, whom 
he had left — with some unselfishness, I am sure — to sup 
with me. They had eaten nothing, although a plentiful sup- 
per was piled on a side-table ; but a number of empty bottles 
proved their thirst. They did not interrupt their game 



THE ARTILLERY-OFFICER'S STORY. 299 

for a moment ; but one of them moved his chair to give us 
room. 

" Eleven ; now then for a ten ! " roared the dealer. " Fif- 
teen — curse my luck ! — and nine ; overdrawn, by Jove ! " 
A peal of joy arose from the others. 

" You only pay me a V, though," said one mournfully. 

" An X for me," said another ; and " You pay me sixty 
dollars, — thirty on each card," added a third. 

They were playing, then, a good deal too high for me ; and, 
as I should have thought, for Mason also. I declined, therefore, 
to join the party ; but stood with my back to the fire, and 
watched the game. 

Vingt-et-un^ like other matters which depend mostly upon 
luck, is a serious trial of the temper ; and the present com- 
pany seemed not to have much patience to spare : they were 
more or less in wine too, and exhibited a great contrast in 
their manner to the quiet and friendly fashion in which cards 
are, and should be, usually played among gentlemen. The 
chief cause of this was, that they were playing for higher 
stakes than they could well afford; that is to say, gam- 
bling. 

The eternal " Make your game," and " I double you," were 
the only words spoken by Mason, as dealer; but he spoke 
them like a curse. Despite the heat of the room, and his in- 
tense excitement, his face shone beneath the bright light of 
two or three gas-burners as white as alabaster, and his thin 
hand shook over the pack like a lily on a dancing rivulet. He 
kept the deal a short time, losing heavily ; and, when he was 
player, he clutched at the cards before they reached him like 
a drowning man catching at straws. 

I shaded my face with my hand, .for I was deeply pained, 
and watched him intently. He had usually " stood " upon his 
first two cards witbout drawing another ; but he seemed sud- 
denly to change his plan, and " drew " again and agaiut 



300 PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES. 

"Nine — sixteen: surely you must be over," said the 
dealer. 

" No, said Mason, " thank you ! I stand." 

Now, on that occasion I happened to see that Mason was 
over, — being twenty-two, — and that he received the stakes 
instead of paying them. My blood rushed to my head, and I 
thought that I heard my heart beat for a moment at the 
sight; but I dismissed the thought that his act was inten- 
tional, and watched in hope that it would not be repeated. 

No, thank Heaven ! he is " over " this time, and throws up 
his cards with a sigh ; and now he wins ; and now, as I live, 
he is " content " at twenty-five, and again receives instead of 
pays. Not twice nor thrice this happens, but twenty times. 
He is cheating whenever there is an occasion to cheat. 

The night — or rather the day — wears on, and still the 
players sit unwearied: their lips are parched, their eyes are 
heated, and they scarcely can take up their cards. But not till 
dawn breaks in through the thick curtains and athwart the 
flaring gas-lights does any one leave his seat : then two 
hurriedly depart ; and the rest drop off their perches presently, 
like moulting birds ; and I am left alone with him who was 
my friend and playmate, and who cheats his guests and com- 
panions. 

" Devilish dissipated, ain't it ? " said Mason, yawning. 

"Devilish!" I echoed. 

" And what cursed luck I've had ! A hundred 'dollars ready 
money and two hundred and fifty of autographs gone besides. 
But, Lord love you ! I've had worse luck than that, and shall 
have again ; and, if I don't mind it, why should you, old chap ? 
Don't look so confoundedly virtuous," he added angrily ; for 
I was looking all I felt : " you'ye done the same before 
now." 

" Never the same, Mr. Mason," I replied. 

^' yyhat do you mean ? " said he hastily^ but without remark- 



THE ARTILLERY-OFFICER'S STORY. 301 

ing on the way I had addressed him. " You've never gam- 
bled : do you mean to say that ? I like your impudence." 

" Gambled, perhaps," I answered, " but never cheated, sir." 

At that word his wan cheeks burnt like two living coals, and 
he dropped into an arm-chair beside me without a word ; while 
a sort of convulsion seemed to pass over his whole face, and 
his breath came and went with difficulty. 

" Mason," I said with pity and some emotion, " be a man ! 
You were drunk, and knew not what you did. You lost com- 
mand of yourself, or you could never have done such a foul 
deed, I know." 

I saw with joy the tears gathering in his eyes, and, with my 
face averted from him, appealed to his old nature as forcibly 
as I could. 

I told him what a hold he once had on all the hearts of his 
old associates, and how men's backs were turning on him 
now. I bade him judge how his whole self was changed by 
his own altered features and the strange companions he had 
chosen. 

He only answered by a silent passion of tears. I was 
obliged to put to him some bitter questions for the sake of 
that I had in view. 

" Does any one know of this beside yourself, Leonard ? " 

He shook his head. 

" Is this the first time in all your life that you ever did this 
thing?" 

" The first, the first ! " he moaned. 

I thought, and still think, that this was true ; that he 
cheated in a sort of despair, and in a frenzy, rather than 
according to a preconceived and customary plan. 

" Have you a Bible in the room, Leonard ? Good ! I have it 
here. Now swear to me that you will not touch dice or card 
again for two years ; swear, I say," for I saw he was about to 
refuse; **or for your own sake, as well as that of others, I 



302 PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES. 

will proclaim what I have seen to-night, not only to your 
friends, but also to our military superiors." 

Leonard Mason took the oath, and kept it ; for he left New 
York that very day for Washington, and, having graduated in 
the cavalry previously, applied to be sent to his regiment, 
then on the western frontier of Texas. I was in the artillery : 
and so, for some years, we were widely apart ; and it was only 
across the memory of my brightest academy-days, and especi- 
ally over their scenes of pleasure and excitement, that his 
shadow fell dark and cold. 

Only two years since, I visited my home at Williamsburg 
on a short leave of absence ; and, being well acquainted with 
all the old Virginia families of the neighborhood, was invited 
to the house of an ancient acquaintance of my own. 

Cleves Court was the seat of Col. Landon Carter, a Vir- 
ginian of the old style ; and there he dispensed the proverbial 
hospitality of the Old Dominion in a right royal fashion. 
The colonel had " one fair daughter, and no more ; " and I had 
known Clara Carter from childhood, our families having been 
quite intimate for several generations. 

Clara was not quite pretty, but had vivacity, and a thousand 
charming graces of manner many times more attractive than 
mere beauty of person. She was tolerably accomplished, and 
was reputed to have a handsome sum in her own right over 
and above what expectations she might have from her father. 
More than once I had thought of an alliance with this desira- 
ble young person myself : but she had once caught me prac- 
tising an address to a young lady aloud, arrayed in cadet 
uniform, before a mirror in a drawing-room at Cleves Court, 
thinking I was solus ; and she never forgot it. Whenever 
afterwards I strove to be tender, she would give her imita- 
tions of my looks and gestures on that occasion ; and I, know- 
ing how little laughter is akin to love, soon stifled my flame 
in my military studies, and began to take a life interest in the 



THE ARTILLERY-OFFICER'S STORY. 303 

army. Still, however, I felt very anxious for her happiness ; 
and it was with some terror, and much astonishment, that I 
discovered, on my arrival at Cleves Court, that she was 
engaged, and that the fortunate suitor was Capt. Leonard 
Mason. 

Col. Carter, it seems, was not altogether satisfied with her 
suitor or his prospects ; but Clara had set her heart upon him, 
and it was at her own disposal. To my half-joking questions 
about her lover, she gave me such replies as convinced me, 
that, in manners and attractions at least, he was the same who 
had charmed us all' in youth ; " but he looks so pale and thin 
at times," she said, " that I can scarcely bear to look at him." 

An early day was appointed for us to meet at Cleves Court, 
the colonel thinking it would be agreeable to both parties on 
the score of our comradeship at West Point ; and I was im- 
patient for the time to arrive. " If he blushes or looks con- 
fused at seeing me," thought I, " it will be a good sign : that 
sad business at college will still haunt his memory, and prove 
him to be not inured to shame. It was his first and last and 
worst error, perhaps ; and who am I that I should bring the 
sin of his youth against another man ? How many of us in 
early life have committed faults, and even crimes, and yet have 
reached harbor and smooth water ! and what right have we 
to send another, who is about to join us, back again upon the 
stormy deep ? " FuU of these magnanimous reflections, 1 
arrived at Col. Carter's, finding within-doors that gentleman 
himself only, who bade me seek the young couple in the 
garden. They were walking together under a trellis of roses 
at the farther end, and never heeded my footsteps as I came 
along the gravelled walk toward them. 

He had his arm around her waist, and was combating, it 
seemed, some opinion or scruple of hers j for his musical tones, 
although I could not hear their sense, caught up and over- 
powered hers. 



304 PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES. 

On a sudden Clara gave a little scream, and pointed to me ; 
and then I knew that it was I who had been the subject of 
their debate. As they came forward, she endeavored to dis- 
entangle herself from him ; but he held her firmly as before. 

Mason had changed much, and showed the marks of time 
and service : his complexion was bronzed, and he was heavily 
bearded. 

"What a time it is since we met !" said he. "Why, when 
was it that I saw you last ? " 

"In New York," I replied. "You must remember that, 
Mason;" for I was not pleased with his coolness and 
effrontery. 

" Yes," he said, " to be sure it was in New York ; and we 
had some ridiculous quarrel about vingt-et-unP 

" Well, don't do it again : for that is just my age ; and I 
don't want to be quarrelled about," said Clara. And the din- 
ner-bell — tocsin of peace — began to sound. 

At the table we heard as much of the captain's history as he 
chose to tell. He spoke of his Indian fights, of Camanches 
and Lipans, and the excitement and adventure of frontier-life. 
He poured out quite a river of anecdote, all of which he 
finished off by some prudent or moral reflection; lamented 
this man's passion for play, another's thirst for drink, and the 
absurd extravagance of a third : in fact, acted the part of a 
model son-in-law to be to perfection. 

But in the evening, as we smoked our cigars, after the old 
colonel had retired to rest, and Clara had followed his example, 
he was, to me, more natural in his communications. 

He then spoke of the intrigues and marriages made " on 
spec" in society; of his colonel's fondness for "brag" and 
" poker ; " of the ease with which money was to be made at 
the Metairie races by the crafty ; of the " smashes " that had 
occurred in his regiment : and, in fact, laid open the whole 
rejpertoire of a fast military man. 



THE ARTILLERY-OFFICER'S STORY. 305 

His old humor was quite gone ; but a bitter wit overflowed 
his talk, and an utter disbelief in goodness and good men per- 
vaded all his language. This he addressed to me, " as one man 
of the world talking to another : '^ so and so and such were the 
real truths, — the sort of horrible, hopeless gospel always her- 
alded by that particular expression. And yet when he drew 
himself up to his full height, and wished me good-night with 
his old bewitching smile, I pressed warmly his outstretched 
hand; and, long after the echoes of his footsteps had died 
away on the oaken stairs, I sat over the fading embers with 
my mind fuller of sorrow than anger because of him. 

I had the darkest foreboding about this marriage. I had 
little doubt but that Mason was a fallen star, who would fall 
lower yet, and drag down with him another, pure and bright, 
and dear to me. Yet I liked him still : what wonder, then, at 
her affection, who knew his strength, and not his weakness ? 
" How often do we see men like these,'' I thought, — " men 
without a prayer, who have twenty pious lips to pray for them ; 
without love, — to call such, — and yet so wildly adored ; with- 
out one great or wise or beautiful thought, and yet diffusing 
almost a glory by their presence ! With one look of love they 
wipe away a hundred wrongs ; and, when they die, their image 
is enshrined in many hearts, and not less tenderly because 
these may have been broken." I had no right, without more 
evidence, to compare Leonard Mason with such men as these ; 
and yet I did so. It is not hard to find out in the army what 
an officer's life has been : but I did not consider myself justified 
in prying into the captain's past career in the South-west ; for 
I knew that I had been a rival, and feared lest jealousy might 
prompt me in the matter quite as much as a regard for Clara's 
happiness. 

Their marriage took place a short time after my visit to 
Cleves Court ; and they went North for a wedding-tour. 
I received a most eligible appointment as instructor of 

26* 



806 PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES. 

artillery at Fortress Monroe ; and frequently paid visits to Col. 
Carter, who urged me to come whenever I could. The child- 
less old man, who had given up the light of his home, told me 
it was pleasant for him to he with one who had known and 
loved his daughter, — for he knew of my old affection for her 
better than she did, and would gladly have encouraged it, — 
and we talked of the absent one continually. 

Month after month passed by without any sign of their 
return; and Clara's letters grew more vague, and Leonard's 
were quite silent as to their movements. He wrote that he 
found living at the North more expensive than he thought, 
and generally requested to have more money. Once, even, he 
wrote me a private epistle, " as one man of the world writing 
to another," about the possibility of getting at the property 
of his wife, which, according to my advice, had been put quite 
safely out of the gallant captain's reach. Then the letters of 
both ceased altogether. Post after post had Col. Carter begged 
of them to write; and I myself had not been backward in 
appealing to Mrs. Mason's filial feelings, or in pointing out to 
her husband the hazard of offending his father-in-law. But six 
months elapsed without letters from them. I then became 
convinced that he was preventing her by force ; cutting off, for 
some purpose of his own, her intercourse with her parent : and 
here all my considerateness for Mason vanished, and I made 
every inquiry about him I could think of. Knowing that his 
leave of absence had expired, I found out at the war depart- 
ment that Capt. Leonard Mason, — th Cavalry, had resigned his 
commission ; that his resignation had been compulsory, to avoid 
trial by court-martial on account of some gambling transac- 
tions which had come to light since he left his regiment in 
Texas : " And indeed," said my informant, the secretary of 
war, " they were some of the worst cases that ever came under 
our notice." 

My suspicions being thus verified, I volunteered to the 



THE ARTILLERY-OFFICER'S STORY. 307 

almost frantic father to go in search of the lost sheep, or 
rather, of the wolf and lamb so unfortunately paired. I would 
not take him with me, because he was the last man in the 
world fitted to cope with Mason ; but he gave me the fullest 
powers to act for him, and, if it could possibly be done, to 
bring about a separation. 

I went on my sad errand, among the throng of pleasure- 
seekers (for it- was now the summer), up the noble river which 
Leonard and I had often ascended together in our cadet-days. 
The grand scenery of the Highlands looked as imposing as of 
yore : all things around were beautiful ; and every heart save 
mine seemed to be full of joy. The noisy glee of a knot of 
young cadets — which vividly brought to mind my former 
experience — contrasted most painfully with my sad forebod- 
ings. One of them forcibly reminded me of what Leonard 
Mason once had been when we had climbed together to the 
" Cro' Nest," and, while we rested, he sang to us " Excelsior." 
Then I doubted not that the words of Longfellow were appro- 
priate to the singer as to the place ; and, as I thought of him 
and the vanity of the prophecy, my heart grew heavy with 
fear. 

I naturally intended to seek the Masons at Saratoga, as this 
was the last place from which tidings of them had been re- 
ceived ; and it was, moreover, the resort of the gay set among 
whom I expected to find them. The first afternoon of my 
arrival was spent in fruitless inquiries ; but the next day I fell 
in with a person who had seen them both at this celebrated 
watering-place, and who knew Capt. Mason. He assisted me 
in seeking them ; but we found that they had left a day or 
two before, and had gone to New York. To the great city, 
then, I proceeded on the evening train ; and, as soon as I ar- 
rived, lost no time in renewing my search, but without success. 
The next day, by the merest accident, I encountered a 
person who knew everybody, and had seen Mason without 
knowing his name. 



308 PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES. 

" Why, they are here, sir ! I saw them last night : I am 
sure of it. They were both playing together in a private 

room at M 's," — naming a noted hell, in which ladies were 

sometimes admitted by special favor of the proprietor, since 
an M. C. ; " the gentleman very pale, and with black beard 
and hair, and sunken eyes ; the lady not handsome, but lady- 
like, and with a musical voice." 

" Good heavens ! " said I. " And did you ask their name ? " 

" Oh, yes ! M told me, — Stuart ; Captain and Mrs. 

Stuart.'' 

" Thank God ! " I said. And yet the next moment T doubt- 
ed whether it would not be better that they should be there 
than not to find them at all, or to find them doing worse. 

Accompanied by my acquaintance, who had the entree, I 
went to the private room of the "hell" that evening. I sat 
down at the gambling- table among others, holding my head 
low, as if intent upon the game, and watched the company as 
they entered. Presently the man I was in search of came 
in, with a lady, thickly veiled, upon his arm ; and the two took 
seats opposite me. Yes, it was she, but deadly pale and quiet, 
looking more like a wax automaton than the light-hearted 
and self-willed Clara I had known. She had been fond of 
jewelry, and used to wear it in profusion ; but there was not 
an ornament about her now, except her marriage-ring, which 
I saw as she stretched out her hand to receive her winnings or 
pay the banker. She seemed utterly careless about the matter 
herself; but, when more fortunate than usual, she looked up 
from the cloth into her husband's face, as if to glean from it 
a beam of joy. They evidently played in accordance with 
some systematic plan ; but they did not prosper. I saw Leon- 
ard Mason's face darkening, and his teeth setting tighter, with 
every failure to win his stakes. At last, with a terrible but 
suppressed oath, he rose, and walked rapidly from the room, 
motioning to his wife to follow him. 



THE ARTILLERY-OFFICER'S STORY. 309 

Conversation is not usual in these places ; but, when he had 
gone, one of the initiated present made the remark, — 

"The captain's scheme doesn't answer. He said he should 
break the bank as surely as P did last summer." 

" Ah ! " said the dealer imperturbably, " P did not go 

away with the money, though; and as for the captain's new 
system, it's as old as the hills." 

It was strange to hear the banker thus proclaiming his own 
invincibility ; but he knew well how fast the devotees of the 
table were bound to him ; and, indeed, he was answered by a 
general laugh. I had already risen, and was following the 
couple out of the room. They walked into Broadway, and en- 
tered Union Square. The moon shone brightly ; and her rays 
were reflected in the basin of the great fountain, which was 
rippled by a light breeze. The scene was peaceful and lovely. 
The square was vacant at that late hour ; and, as I advanced 
towards the Masons, I was reminded of the time I first met 
them together in the garden at Cleves Court. The way in 
which he laid his hand upon her arm at my approach recalled 
the manner in which he refused to be shaken off on that 
occasion. I saw in that grip that he was recalling to her 
mind certain previous directions, and that he had calculated 
upon a meeting of this sort. 

" Captain Mason, or Stuart," I accosted him, " I have mat- 
ters of a very serious nature to speak to you upon." At that 
intimation his pale cheek grew whiter ; and I felt sure, at once, 
that he had done something to be afraid of, besides the things 
I knew of. 

"Mrs. Mason," I continued, "to you also I have some 
weighty messages from a father you may possibly never see 
again." 

" Address yourself to me, sir, if you please ! " burst forth her 
husband violently ; but she broke in with, — 

" Tell me, for God's sake ! is he ill, is he here, sir ? 
Leonard, Leonard, let me see our father ! " 



310 PUFFS FROM PICKET- PIPES. 

"He is not ill, madani;" said I; "tliougli he is broken- 
hearted. But, if I return to him without you, I do not doubt 
that he will die ; and at your door, Capt. Mason, who have not 
suffered his daughter to write to him, his death will lie. Shall 
I go back and say that his son-in-law dare not pass under his 
own name, and that his daughter is compelled to become a 
professional gambler in the public hells of New York and 
Saratoga ? " 

" You will return to him," replied Mason savagely, " with 
a bullet through your heart, if — But here Clara, in an 
agony of tears, and half swooning, entreated to be led home ; 
and we bore her between us (for she could not support herself) 
to their apartments on the third floor of a neighboring street. 
They were almost without furniture, and not altogether clean, 
but with a glass of flowers here and there, and a few other 
traces of the " grace past neatness " which rarely forsakes a 
woman. Papers and cards covered with figures showing the 
average numbers of times certain cards had turned up at faro 
proclaimed the systematic gambler, not the mathematician ; 
but they were all delusive calculations for discovering the philo- 
sopher's stone, — the way to win. Mason carried his wife, still 
sobbing piteously, into an inner room, and, returning instantly, 
motioned me to a chair, and demanded my business. 

" May I ask, sir, on the part of Col. Carter, why you have 
not corresponded with him these six months, — not even to 
inform him of your having left the army ? " 

" You know as well as and better than I, sir (for I believe 
you put your meddling hand to it)," he replied, "that he 
refused me a pecuniary request, made on the part of his own 
daughter ; and I did not choose that she should have any thing 
more to do with such a hard-hearted old miser." 

" Now, supposing," said I, " as one 7)ian of the world talking 
to another, it was rather in the hope of bringing the old miser 
to your terms ? and supposing that your plan has taken effect, 



THE ARTILLERY-OFFICER'S STORY. 311 

and that I am instructed to pay you half your demand — that 
is to say, twenty thousand dollars — upon condition that Mrs. 
Mason returns to her friends ? " 

I had expected an outburst of rage at this proposal ; but he 
only turned himself to the cabalistic documents upon the table, 
and, after a little consideration, answered calmly, — 

" No : I must have thirty thousand ! " 

Col. Carter would have given double that sum ; but I was 
so enraged by this coolness, and want of feeling, that I ex- 
pressed myself with an eloquence that would have carried 
every thing before it in a criminal court. 

" Swindler, cheat, felon ! " I cried, — and at the word " felon '' 
I saw him shake " like a guilty thing," and pursued my ad- 
vantage, — " yes, felon, whom to-morrow I could consign to a 
life-long imprisonment, how dare you make conditions with 
me?" 

But he recovered himself almost immediately, and bade me 
leave the room. 

" To-morrow, sir, will see me far from this city with her 
whom your unselfishness is so anxious to divorce from her 
husband. 

" Do you think," he added with all his ancient bitterness 
as I crossed the threshold, "that I have not heard of the 
friend of the family, the confidential adviser, the Platonic 
lover, the rejected suitor, before now?" 

My indiscretion had thus broken off a treaty which promised 
to be more favorable than I had dared to hope. If Clara could 
have been induced to leave him, the business might have been 
by this time equitably, or at least legally, settled ; but what 
was to be done now ? 

I went again to my acquaintance of the night before ; for it 
might be that Leonard Mason had compromised himself so 
deeply, that the fear of the law would bring him to reason. 
His all-absorbing passion for play might have led him within 



312 PUFFS FROM PICKET- PIPES. 

its liabilities. I stated my case to this person, and asked if he 
could assist me. 

"Certainly/^ said he, a bright thought seeming to strike him. 
''Come with me." 

After a short consultation, we went to the headquarters of 
the police, where I procured the help of an officer ; and we 
returned to the lodging of the Masons. Leaving the officer 
outside, I entered, and found the captain alone, as before, but 
with several trunks and boxes about him, evidently prepared 
for immediate departure. 

" Well, Capt. Mason," said, I, " I am come once more to 
repeat my offer of last night." 

He laughed quite scornfully, and replied, — 

" Since you are so hot about it, sir, you must now give forty 
thousand for the lady. I will take no less ; and in two hours 
it will be too late. Go to your hotel in the mean time, and 
debate the question of 'love or money.' " 

"You do not move from this place unless I wish," I an- 
swered. At a sign from me, the officer entered ; and I con- 
tinued : — 

" You are now arrested for living under an assumed name, 
and for confining your wife under duress ; and you will be 
detained in prison until other and far graver charges which 
may be brought against you shall have been substantiated." 

The last sentence had a great success, as I could see by his 
changing color; and he replied, with an appearance of his old 
frankness, — 

" You have out-manoeuvred me, I confess : withdraw yoi ^ 
forces, pay me the sum you proposed at first, and I will per 
form my part of the business." 

The officer retired at my request, and he addressed himself 
to me : — 

" Shall I take an oath before you ? or will my word suffice ?" 

" Sir," I replied, " the results of the last oath you took in 



THE ARTILLERY-OFFICER'S STORY. 313 

my presence have not been such as to induce me to ask you for 
another." 

He said nothing ; but a flush came to his face which re- 
minded me of that which had reddened it in his rooms years 
before. I drew up a document for him to sign, which was a 
literal copy of one I had received from a lawyer, and which 
had been already prepared in anticipation. It bound him by 
the strongest tie — his own interest — never to claim Clara 
as his wife again. He signed it ; while I, on my part, gave 
him a check for the money. At that moment, in came his 
poor wife in her bonnet and travelling-dress. ♦ 

" You may take those things off again," said her husband 
calmly : " we are not going away." 

She looked from him to me with a sort of hope just awaken- 
ing in her tear-worn face. 

" You are going home to your father, Clara," he added. 

" Thank God, thank God ! " she said ; " and thank you, 
Leonard ! How happy you have made me ! We will go together 
to him and the dear old place, and never leave him : we will 
forgive and forget ; won't we, dear husband, won't we ? " 

" Mrs. Mason," said I, " your husband cannot accompany 
you. It would not be possible for your father to see him, even 
if he chose to go ; which he does not." 

The truth is, I was at that time very inexperienced in the 
female character, and was secretly vexed that she should cling 
to this rotten tree ; nor did I then comprehend that woman's 
love cleaves to its chosen object through disgrace, neglect, and 
crime. 

" I leave not my husband, sir," she said quietly, " until death 
doth us part." 

She stood erect, and laid her hand upon his shoulder, but 
with a mournful look : it was the dignity of love, but also of 
despair. He quietly and coldly put her arm away. 

" It is better for us both, Clara," he said. " I wish it to be 
27 



314 PUFFS FROM PICKET- PIPES. 

so. I would rather," he added with some effort, "that you 
never saw my face again." 

She gave a short, sharp cry, and fell heavily upon the floor. 

For many days she lay fever-strichen and delirious ; and I 
was unahle to remove her. 

Fortunately I knew a most amiahle and accomplished lady 
in the city, who volunteered her assistance to me ; for I was 
left her only protector, Capt. Mason having departed, no one 
knew whither. My sympathizing friend secured the attend- 
ance of one of that sisterhood which devotes itself to the alle- 
viation of human suffering in whatever form it is found; and 
Clara was nursed hy a Sister of Charity, who scarcely ever left 
her bedside. 

When, at last, she returned to consciousness, the face hang- 
ing over her was that of her own father : it was his tremulous 
voice that answered when she called, " Leonard, Leonard ! " 

Nevertheless, when the mist over her mind cleared away, 
she did not refuse to be comforted, even at first. Whatever 
others might have said against her husband, whatever proofs 
of his un worthiness might have been shown to her, she would 
have rejected; but his own renunciation of her cut, like a 
sharp sword, her heart-strings from him. 

She never asked to go to him again. He became to her an 
ideal being. The portrait she possessed of him, the lock of 
golden hair, the love-letters he had once written to* her, were 
memorials Of a far other than he who had said, — 

" I would rather that you never saw my face again." 

She was taken back to the old house, and grew resigned, 
and, in time, almost cheerful. She must have suffered many 
and terrible things ; and her nature recovered itself slowly at 
the touch of kindness, as the drooping flower oj)ens gradually to 
the sun. 

The old man became almost young again, and scarcely ever 
left her. He was fuller of kindliness towards me than ever; 



THE ARTILLERY-OFFICER'S STORY. 315 

but not so his daughter: and I was not wanted at Cleves Court, 
I saw ; and so discontinued my visits. 

I had a difficult mission to perform when I left Cleves Court 
for Saratoga ; but I did my best, and with no motive but her 
good to inspire me. 

Just before this war broke out, I was travelling on duty in 
the West, and embarked at Baton Eouge for Natchez. It was 
late in the evening when I went on board ; and, without no- 
ticing a party around the card-table in the " social hall " of the 
steamboat, I went to my stateroom, and to bed. I was fa- 
tigued, and slept sound until morning ; when I was aroused 
by a hubbub on the gang-plank, the steamer having stopped 
at a wooding-station. I looked forth from my little window, 
and saw a man hustled violently ashore by the indignant pas- 
sengers amid many an oath and execration. Beaching the 
levee, he turned his pale face, and shook his fist menacingly at 
the crowd on the deck. That was the last time I saw Leonard 
Mason. I went into the saloon, and found the passengers and 
clerk of the boat engaged in examining the contents of a valise 
they said was his, — '^ the cheat." 

An " advantage-box," loaded dice, marked cards, were suc- 
cessively drawn forth and detected by these experts, who had 
lost heavily the night before, and had watched the professional 
gambler, and exposed him. I thought of the days, not far 
distant, that we had passed at the Military Academy, and how 
terribly altered was that skeleton form I had just seen ig- 
nominiously expelled from the society of his fellows from the 
strong and sprightly nervous frame of the young cadet ; and 
the soul too — but that was past human ken or judgment. 

What has become of the lost one since I know not ; but 
have heard, that, like most Southerners of military education, 
he is now in the confederate army. 



THE MAJOR'S STORY. 

FKOM my childliood, my friends, I have been a soldier, 
and my earliest recollections are of the barrack and the 
camp ; while my youth was accustomed to the field and the 
bivouac. In fact, I have been that much-maligned personage, 
a soldier of fortune ; which means, in most cases, a soldier of 
no fortune at all. 

Once in my life I resolved to relinquish the profession of 
arms, and to adopt some peaceful calling ; but inexorable fate 
drove me back to the career which I began, as I have said, 
almost in childhood. 

After having given my sword to several European powers, 
and also lent it to the Turk, without finding myself any better 
off than when I began, I determined to visit the land of prom- 
ise to all adventurers like myself, and came to this country to 
seek a home and a family. I had always been a dreamer, and 
to acquire these blessings was the dearest wish of my heart ; 
while the hope of its realization had been my only solace in 
many a dreary bivouac, as I lay on the ground covered with 
my cloak, gazing upward at the stars, with oftentimes many 
a poor fellow stark and stiff in his gore around me. 

The expenses of the voyage had absorbed all the little ready 
money I possessed ; and I landed in New York penniless, 
having nothing but a stout heart and strong limbs, that had so 
often stood me in good stead. 

It was the autumnal season ; and I stroUed all day through 
816 



THE MAJOR'S STORY. 817 

the busy streets of the great metropolis of the Western World, 
studying the new scenes that met my eye ; and, as the shades 
of evening fell, I stretched myself on a bench in Washington 
Square to rest. 

I did not fear observation ; for I was utterly unknown. I was 
pale and careworn after my voyage : and my clothes were by no 
means new, — " my beaver gone to seed ; " my shoes, like those 
of Julian St. Pierre, "minus half their soles." I saw the 
yellow leaves of the maples drop from their boughs as the 
breeze swept through them; and a shudder ran through my heart 
at the sight. They were hurled round and round by the tiny cur- 
rents of air ; and at last borne away. Heaven only knew whither. 
" Such," thought I, " are my hopes ; " and I compared myself 
to the tree from which they had been torn. In the green spring- 
time of life my heart had put forth its blossoms and its branches, 
and many a bird of love trilled its sweet song amid its fresh 
foliage ; but all had gone. The young plant had withered ; and 
the winds beat upon it, lone and melancholy. Brooding over 
such thoughts as these, I clasped my hands over my eyes to 
shut out the gleams of the pale stars, and wept silently. 

I thought of my youth and its golden visions, and how, like 
the diamond frost-work that is melted by the sun, they, too, had 
" vanished into thin air." I thought of the struggles I had en- 
dured, the perils I had passed; of how I had labored and 
fought, not for myself, but for others ; and, worse than all, how 
my proud heart had been obliged to bow to the 

" Spurns 
That patient merit from the unworthy takes." 

It was a bitter thought ; but I pressed my hand upon my 
breast, and said to myself, " It is well." 

I then imagined myself married and the father of a family, 
although still in the humblest pecuniary circumstances. I 
27* 



318 PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES. 

imagined, that, my speculations having failed, I was a beggar. 
In fancy, I reached my humble abode after a long and weary 
walk. My wife came out to meet me ; and my children clasped 
my knees, and flung their little thin, white arms around my 
neck. I thought of the morrow, — of their wants, and my des- 
titution ; and, though my heart dropped tears of blood, my lips 
wore a smile, and I cheered them with words of hope and 
love. I bade them good-night with many kisses ; and we slept, 
and dreamed those cold, gray dreams that hover over the beds 
of poverty. 

The next morning, after eating a scanty breakfast, I went 
forth to earn the pittance of a laborer. My heart hung in my 
bosom like a lump of lead, and I bit my lips to hide my agony. 
My rent was due, and I had not a farthing to pay it. I 
thought of my pale wife and little children ; and imagined 
them shivering in the cold air, houseless and friendless. 

Wrapped in these painful fancies, and walking with my 
face bent towards the ground, I suddenly spied a little piece 
of paper, looking like a bank-note, lying on the pavement. 

I grasped it eagerly ; but, alas ! it was only a ticket in the 
Havana lottery ! I kept it, nevertheless, and that day asked 
a barkeeper what No. 33,661 had drawn. 

"Have you that number ? ^^ asked the barkeeper with an air 
of surprise. 

" Yes : here it is," I answered. 

" That ticket, sir, has drawn eight thousand dollars ; and 
you have only to go to the firm of P to get your money.'' 

Who could describe the thoughts that rushed like meteors 
through my bosom ? I was as rich as I wished to be, and 
could now hurl back with scorn the taunts of those who had 
oppressed me. I hastened to my home, while the ground 
seemed to fly beneath my feet. My wife's face was livid 
when I approached; but, when I told her of my fortune, 
she burst into tears. 



THE MAJOR'S STORY. 319 

She could not speak for joy ; but, falling on her knees, she 
clasped her thin, white hands, and thanked God for his bless- 
ings. She spoke not a word; but the mute heart's prayer 
rose upwards, sweet and fragrant as the incense from the holy 
censer. I could not even smile ; but my eye was again lighted 
with the gleams of hope and joy. 

I thought, that, in a day or two, we were all on our way to 
find a home in the West. As we sped up the lordly Hudson 
on the magnificent steamer, my arm clasped the waist of my 
wife as we sat on the hurricane-deck : and as we watched the 
buildings of the great city, and the spires of her churches, and 
the tall masts of the shipping, as they faded into the clouds, I 
thought of those whom I had befriended, and who had requited 
my kindness with contumely ; and, ah ! how merrily rang the 
supper-bell on board the boat ! and how savory was the smell 
of the food upon the ample table! My wife's cheeks were 
pale no longer ; the children prattled gayly ; and we all sat 
down together and enjoyed the repast. Thus sped day after 
day till seven had passed, when we reached our destination. 

I soon found a settler itching to escape from even advancing 
civilization, and of him bought, with the proceeds of the lot- 
tery-ticket, nearly five hundred acres of rich land, good farm- 
buildings, and all his stock and agricultural appurtenances. 

We were soon installed in our new residence, and were 
happy, — perfectly happy. The first night of our occupancy I 
sat on the balcony of my little house, smoking my pipe, and 
gazing on the beautiful scene spread before me. The tall trees 
around the house seemed to bow and do homage to me as to 
their master. I could hear the lowing of the kine in the cattle- 
yard, and see the broad fields teeming with abundant crops. 
They were all mine now. I saw the brook that ran silvery 
in the pale moonlight as softly as a dream. I thought how, 
on the morrow, I would take my gun, and wage a crusade 
against the game that chirped on the prairie in shot of my very 



320 PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES. 

door. After these pleasant musings and anticipations, I went 
to bed with a heart light as a feather, and dreamed sweet 
dreams. 

The next morning, just as the sun was tinging the summits 
of the hills, and the birds were singing their early songs to 
the light of day, I awoke, started, and found myself still in 
Washington Square. 

I had been sleeping all the while, and the lottery-ticket was 
but a figment of my dream. My hat had fallen from my 
head, and was nearly filled with dead leaves. Among them 
was a piece of paper. It was a fragment of a boy's kite that 
had been caught in the trees and blown to pieces. On it was 
written, in a schoolboy's round hand, " Patience and perse- 
verance will accomplish every " — and here the sentence broke 
off. It was evidently a leaf torn from a boy's copy-book : but 
I gave it a long, wistful look ; and, while my visions faded 
away forever, I resolved to profit by the aphorism. 

The sun had just withdrawn his face from the bloody plain 
of Shiloh. The conflict, which had raged for two days with 
unceasing fury between the armies of Grant and Buell and 
those of Johnston and Beauregard, had terminated in the 
defeat of the latter, which, under cover of the approaching 
night, was fleeing before its victorious foe. 

Yet our victory was not a great one, as by it we simply 
regained the camps from which we had been driven ; though, 
in point of fighting, the case was doubtless in our favor. The 
confederates chose their own time and place of attack, 
pounced upon an inferior force, and performed a feat that 
military writers declare is impossible against a well-disciplined 
army, — effected a complete surprise. A stronger combina- 
tion of adverse circumstances could hardly be imagined than 
that which operated against the Union army ; yet we finally 
repulsed them. 



THE MAJOR'S STORY. 321 

I rode forward with the pursuing cavalry. Yain had been 
the courage of the rebel troops ; fruitless the exertions of John- 
ston, who met his death on the field : his army was now in 
hurried retreat. The shouts of the victors, the shrieks of the 
wounded, and the feeble moans of the dying, the wild ravings 
of thirst, cries for succor, and even prayers for death, were all 
unheeded by the eager hosts intent on pursuit and escape. 
Since the evening I had spent in Washington Square, matters 
had prospered with me : my dream had been realized. I had 
settled in a growing Western State, married, and had a small 
family. But this great struggle in which we are now en- 
gaged came on. My military knowledge and experience were 
called for, if not appreciated; and I was forced by circum- 
stances to take part in the conflict. Although my property 
lay in the South-west, I never hesitated an instant which side 
to take. I enlisted in a regiment of cavalry recruited in my 
State, and was appointed adjutant by our colonel, who, 
innocent of all knowledge of the art of war himself, was not 
blind to the advantage of having an old soldier at his right 
hand. 

The enemy's retreat was conducted in good order, and his 
rear-guard covered the army with undaunted coolness. Our 
cavalry cut down or dispersed many stragglers ; but their 
farther advance was checked by a steady line just visible in 
the approaching dusk, and a volley which emptied many sad- 
dles. Suddenly I felt my horse reel and tumble under me, 
and my own strength fail ; and instantly both horse and man 
measured their length upon the sod. How long I lay bereft of 
all my faculties I know not ; but, returning to consciousness, 
I found myself near a heap of mutilated corpses. 

The first object which caught my eye was a canteen sus- 
pended to the side of a dead rebel officer, and glittering fee- 
bly in the pale moonlight. Inspired by hope, I crawled to 
the body of the confederate as quickly as I could, and seized 



322 PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES, 

the envied treasure. I was not disappointed; for the canteen 
held some excellent whiskey, a small quantity of which greatly 
revived me. 

Sitting down near the place where I had lain by the side of 
my poor horse, which had been slain, I began seriously to 
reflect on the predicament to which the fortune of war had 
reduced me. I first examined my body and limbs in search 
of the wound which had so inopportunely placed me hors du 
combat; but, finding no visible hurt, I concluded (what was 
really the case) that the soreness in my head, and my late 
swoon, were due to a contusion I had received from the fall of 
my horse. I recalled perfectly the circumstances of m.j fall ; 
and, as these were sufficient to account for all the bruises I 
had sustained, further conjectures were useless. My posi- 
tion was not an agreeable one. I knew the bitterness with 
which the war was waged by the confederates, and the risk I 
ran of being either massacred upon the field, or starved to 
death in one of their vile prisons ; and these considerations 
made me pluck up my spirit, with the determination to use 
my best efforts to save (what I had the utmost respect for) 
my neck, but to bear my fate, whatever it might be, with 
manly fortitude. I soon decided upon the plan of action to be 
pursued in case I was taken prisoner. 

In the course of my military career, I had seen too often 
the immense value of a knowledge of medicine and surgery 
to the professional soldier, and had pursued my studies in 
that direction during the intervals of garrison-life and other 
leisure times. I had a general smattering of the principles 
of the healing art ; had frequently assisted at important sur- 
gical operations; knew the best styptics in use; and had 
acquired a practical knowledge of phlebotomy. In my pres- 
ent dilemma, these accomplishments might prove very use- 
ful. 

Accordingly, I resolved to dub myself a surgeon pro tein- 



THE MAJOR'S STORY. 323 

pore, and to pass as such with the enemy ; trusting that my 
quality of non-combatant would rescue me from the fate 
which would inevitably follow the avowal of my real rank. 
Escape was impossible if the patrols of the enemy returned, 
even if my limbs had been supple enough to bear me on a retreat. 
We had been led far in the advance, and I was entirely igno- 
rant of the position of either army. My best policy, then, was 
to remain where I was ; and I adopted it, hoping that the 
federal army would first come to the field to collect their 
wounded. In the mean time my reveries were unbroken, 
save by the occasional cries of the mutilated wretches who 
surrounded me, several of whom were menaced by the turkey- 
buzzards, which already thronged the field in quest of their 
loathsome prey. 

A cry of agony suddenly struck my ear; and, looking in 
the direction whence it proceeded, I saw a young man on his 
back, striving fruitlessly with his feet to drive away some of 
those carnivorous birds of which I have spoken. My first 
impulse, as I dragged myself towards him, was humane; 
nor did the sight of his gray uniform check its operation. I 
soon scattered the carrion birds ; and, having administered a 
drop of my precious cordial to the parched lips of the sufferer, 
began the duties of my assumed profession by an examination 
of his wounds. Both arms were severely injured by a mus- 
ket-ball. I soon bound them up, — a shirt from a neighbor- 
ing corpse supplying me with the requisite bandages, — the 
confederate officer (for such he was) regarding me meanwhile 
with looks of mingled surprise and admiration. 

At last an exclamation burst from his lips, and he almost 
overwhelmed me with a torrent of thanks. Modestly waiving 
the subject of my own deserts, I inquired if he had any hope 
of soon being removed. 

"Ay, indeed!" cried he. "John Middleton would have 
been here long before this, but for some insuperable qbsta- 



324 PUFFS FROM PICKET- PIPES. 

cle." And, glancing at my uniform, lie added, " Do you keep 
up your spirits ; for, although my arm is unable to defend 
you, the word of Tom Yancey has weight with my comrades, 
and you shall see that a rebel may possess a grateful heart. 
But what do I see ? Surely my eyes deceive me, or I recog- 
nize the canteen of Bill Davis, of my regiment ! " 

I explained how it came into my possession. 

" Ah ! then he has fallen at last ! — Poor Davis ! the merriest 
fellow in the regiment, and a true lover of old Bourbon." 

His enumeration of his comrade's virtues was interrupted 
by a shout from a distant part of the field ; and the dawn, just 
then breaking, showed us four or five confederate soldiers cau- 
tiously seeking among the wounded. Yancey at ouce declared 
that his friend John Middleton was approaching, and requested 
me to answer the call ; which I did. In a few moments the party 
came up. I must confess that I felt rather uneasy as the crisis 
of my fate approached, notwithstanding the assurances of my 
new friend. 

The rebels, however, took not the slightest notice of me, their 
whole attention being engrossed by the wounded lieutenant ; 
but when they had heard a relation of his sufferings, and learnt 
the kindness he had received from a federal officer, not even the 
Union uniform I wore could save me from the thanks and sym- 
pathy of his grateful friends. 

A litter was prepared for Lieut. Yancey, while two stout 
confederates supported me in their arms: the glass of friend- 
ship circulated for the last time, and we prepared to leave the 
gory field. At this moment a rebel officer rode up, and, catch- 
ing a glimpse of my hated garb, appeared much astonished at 
this unwonted display of confraternity. He was soon acquainted 
with the circumstances of the case, and, turning to me, highly 
complimented my humanity and skill. 

" This is indeed an auspicious meeting, sir," said he. " If 
you are indeed a surgeon, your services are this instant required 
by one who will justly appreciate them." 



THE MAJOR'S STORY. 325 

Not anticipating that my skill would be so immediately put to 
the test, I felt extremely awkward. I might be called upon to 
perform an operation in which my ignorance would be manifest. 
I had, however, " staked my life upon the cast, and must abide 
the hazard of the die." Bowing to the of&cer, therefore, I ex- 
pressed my readiness to make myself useful in any capacity. 

A stray horse was soon caught. I was helped to mount him ; 
and bidding adieu to Middleton and Yancey, who were profuse 
in their acknowledgments and kind wishes, I accompanied the 
officer, who was attended by two orderlies. We struck into a 
narrow and devious path leading through the woods. After 
riding about four miles, we arrived at a log farmhouse, in a 
clearing, around which several horses were picketed ; while the 
number of officers and orderlies constantly passing to and fro 
showed it to be the temporary headquarters of an officer of 
high rank. This discovery did not lessen my apprehensions. 
We alighted ; and the officer who accompanied me, and who 
had remained silent during our ride, threw his gray cloak over 
my shoulders, doubtless with a view of screening me from the 
observation of the rebels ; whispered me to be of good heart, 
and to wait his return ; and left me in the rude veranda of the 
log-cabin. Nodding assent, I seated myself on a rough wooden 
bench, and looked around. Several officers lounged about, 
smoking, and conversing on the events of the battle. A 
middle-aged confederate near me was talking with a young 
man ; and some of their words reached my ears, although they 
spoke in a low key. 

" A confounded hard day's work we have had of it," said the 
eldest. " The Yanks fought like lions. The fortune of the battle 
fluctuated more than once before we lost it." 

" Ay," replied the youngest : " we had it all our own way 
on Sunday ; but the re-enforcements coming up under Buell 
gave them the victory at last." 

*' That blasted gunboat greatly annoyed us," said the elder, 
28 



326 PUFFS FROM PICKET- PIPES. 

" by her broadsides. Our division was almost decimated by 
her shells. But for her, I think we should have broken the 
enemy's line." 

"Their batteries were splendidly served," returned the junior 
officer : " we took six of them six times, which were retaken as 
often, at enormous cost to us and to them." 

" The federals were badly demoralized on Sunday evening," 
said the first. " Their soldiers were huddled together under 
the high bank of the river, and could not be persuaded to face 
us by their officers. There was inextricable confusion among 
them ; and the gunboats not ouly saved them, but, setting the 
woods on fire, caused the death of many of our wounded." 

" The re-enforcements of Price and Van Dorn," said the 
younger, " were neutralized by the arrival of their Tennessee 
army, and all our expectations destroyed. The slaughter yes- 
terday was terrible ! " 

"It was Greek meeting Greek. My men saw, and even 
hailed, their own neighbors in the deadly struggle. Poor 
Johnston ! A braver or an abler soldier never drew a sword. 
He was left on the field, and B " 

" Hush ! " interrupted the younger man. " The general now 
lies in this house, wounded in the hand : our stupid surgeons 
have been these two hours trying in vain to stanch the blood 
which flows from it ; but the hemorrhage defies their effi^rts. 
Unless it is speedily stopped, he is in danger of following his 
colleague." 

The colloquy was broken ofi" by the entrance of the officer 
who had brought me to the cabin, and who made me a sign to 
follow him. I had heard enough, however, to satisfy me that 
the person to whom I was about to be introduced was no other 

than Gen. B , now, since the death of Albert Sidney 

Johnston, commander-in-chief of the rebel army. 

The certainty was by no means calculated to augment my 
self-confidence. But I had no time for reflection. My conductor 



THE MAJOR'S STORY. 327 

led me into a narrow entry, at the end of which was a low door : 
this was opened to us by an old woman ; and we entered a small 
room, one side of which was occupied by a rude bed, where lay 
a man of middle age and stature, with a stern but not ferocious 
countenance, in which was something which checked familiar- 
ity, and inspired the beholder with a feeling of respect border- 
ing upon awe. 

On the back of a chair was thrown his uniform of confederate 
gray, the collar simply adorned with the insignia of his rank, 
and his sword. Two officers, seemingly of rank, were seated 
at a little distance, anxiously regarding a third person, who was 
kneeling, and applying to the wounded limb cloths which were 
absolutely saturated with blood. The old woman resumed her 
station at the fire. The general slowly raised his eyes at our 
entrance, and fixed them steadily upon my face for a mo- 
ment; when, as if satisfied with the scrutiny, his features 
relaxed from the expression of hauteur which they had worn, 
and he addressed me in a weak though clear voice : — 

" I am told, young man, that your humanity has been already 
exercised in behalf of a fallen enemy. I also require the aid 
of your healing art. Pray, may I ask where you received your 
medical education." 

"The little knowledge I possess, general," I replied, "has 
been acquired in Belgium." 

" You are, then, a native of that country, I presume," said 
the general, " and not an American." 

" Pardon me, general," I returned : " I am by birth an Eng- 
lishman." 

" 'Tis well, sir. I resign myself to your treatment ; that is, 
if you will condescend to give the benefit of your surgical 
skill to a rebel." 

" 'Tis my duty as well as my pleasure, general, to relieve 
suffering, whether I find it in a friend or an enemy." 

" Mr. " (I did not catch the name), said the general 



328 PUFFS FROM PICKET- PIPES. 

to the kneeling man, " you will prepare yourself to follow im- 
plicitly the directions of this gentleman ; and/' he pursued 
with a sneer, " you may chance to acquire a lesson in the prac- 
tice of an art of which you now seem to know only the 
theory." 

The abashed surgeon rose from his humble posture, and, 
as he relinquished his place, darted at me a look full of malig- 
nity, while I proceeded, not without some trepidation, to 
survey the wounded limb. My fears were somewhat alleviated 
on discovering that the hurt was not of a very serious nature. 
A musket-ball had traversed the fleshy part of the inside of 
the liand, and the wound owed much of its irritation to un- 
necessary probing ; to allay which, and to stop the hemorrhage, 
seemed to be the first things to be done. 

I called for some simple styptics, readily obtained ; applied 
them to the wounded hand, and the bleeding stopped. I ban- 
daged it securely, administered a composing draught from a 
portable camp medicine-chest at hand, and desired that the 
general should be left to repose. All instantly prepared to 
leave the room except the nurse and the crest-fallen doctor, 
whose name, I was told, was Mercier, a native of New Orleans. 
Col. Game, the officer who had been my conductor, and by 
whom the scowl of the indignant practitioner had not passed 
unheeded, fearing lest his envious feelings might induce him 
to counteract the good effects of my remedy, commanded him 
to retire ; an order which he obeyed with visible dissatisfaction. 
I was then conducted into an adjoining room, in which we 
found refreshment awaiting us of a substantial kind, and a 
tolerable bed, which seemed to me the couch of a Sybarite 
after my recent fatigues. I did not awake until late in the 
day ; when I again dressed the general's wound, and prepared 
him to enjoy the night's sleep. Early on the following morn- 
ing I was aroused by Col. Game, who, having inquired in a 
friendly manner after my health, begged my acceptance of a 



THE MAJOR'S STORY. 329 

plain gray frock-coat, '' which/' said he, " will not be conspicu- 
ous, and may spare you unpleasant remarks that some of our 
officers might feel authorized to make at sight of a Union 
uniform." 

"It is not intended to place you under any particular re- 
straint," he added. " You will give me your parole of honor to 
attempt no escape : indeed, the effort would be vain, and would 
only subject you to a penalty which even those disposed to serve 
you would be unable to avert. Take my advice, then, and be 
patient. The general's rest has been undisturbed during the 
night, the greater part of which I remained in his room : he 
feels much refreshed ; and we shall all start this forenoon for 
Corinth, the general riding in a carriage. Upon arrival there, 
unless we are pursued by the federal army, he hopes that he 
will be well in a few days, with your aid ; when it is probable 
that the first moment of his recovery will be the last of your 
captivity. We will now, if you please, visit the general, whose 
wound requires your attention to prepare him for the journey. 
EecoUect that you have already gained two friends ; and have 
a fair chance of securing a third, whose interest is of far greater 
value." 

I readily gave my parole, thanking Col. Game for his 
good advice, and declaring that I should follow it implicitly ; 
and together we entered the general's chamber. 

I found the inflammation considerably abated, and the suf- 
ferer much better. Having renewed the dressing, I retired to 
the veranda and joined Col. Game, who introduced me to 
several officers of the general staff assembled for their frugal 
breakfast, and who received me with marked politeness. 
When the meal had been silently discussed, the much-worn 
carriage brought to the door and made ready for the occupa- 
tion of the general, the company mounted ; and, before noon, 
our cavalcade was slowly advancing toward luka and Corinth. 

This last place is a strong strategic point. It lies in the 

28* 



330 PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES. 

bosom of a semi-mountainous country, the surrounding hills 
forming an irregular circle from four to eight miles in diameter. 
The Mobile and Ohio Railway crosses the ridge formed by these 
hills, through a cut seventy-J&ve feet in depth perpendicular- 
ly. Similar cuts of less depth penetrate the hills on the east, 
west, and south, where the different railways enter. Beyond 
these hills, in the direction of Pittsburg and Savannah, the 
ground becomes more level, and much of it is low and swampy. 
The country is diversified, the soil fertile ; and there are ex- 
tensive forests of oak, hickory, walnut, and pine. The principal 
military value of Corinth lies in the fact that it is a great rail- 
way centre for the different lines of the South-west. 

As I rode near the carriage of the general with Col. Game, 
I had an opportunity of learning some of the reasons for 
the retrograde movement we were making, and was also in- 
structed on many political points about which I had not 
hitherto been informed. We arrived late in the day at the 
town of Corinth ; and orders were given, immediately upon our 
arrival, to strengthen the defences of the place, and to re-organ- 
ize the troops, as their shattered regiments arrived, after their 
terrible losses at Pittsburg Landing. Col. Game and myself 
were quartered in a small two-roomed house near the head- 
quarters of the general, into which we withdrew to partake of 
some refreshment. 

Later, allured by the beauty of the evening, I was induced 
to cross the threshold, and almost unconsciously strolled to the 
farther extremity of the enclosure in which the house was 
situated. The little yard was surrounded by tall trees, through 
which an opening was scarcely perceptible, and was about an 
acre in extent. Finding a stump of a tree which had been 
lately felled, I sat down on it, and insensibly fell into my cus- 
tomary inveterate habit of revery. Time passed unheeded; 
and it is uncertain how long 1 might have remained in my 
brown study, had I not been suddenly aroused by a rustling 



THE MAJOR'S STORY. 331 

sound. Springing to my feet, I gazed attentively around, but 
could perceive nothing to indicate whence the noise proceeded. 
I had begun to believe it was the work of imagination, when 
the same sound again arrested my attention. I started sudden- 
ly : and well was it for me that I did so ; for the sharp crack 
of a revolver quickly followed the sound, and I was saved from 
its bullet only by my precipitate movement ; for the leaden pro- 
jectile grazed my head as it perforated my hat. I rushed in 
the direction of the report only to see indistinctly a dark form 
swiftly hurrying through the belt of trees encircling the yard. 
I halted, and was joined by Col. Game, who had heard the 
sound, and came to seek me; and who, on learning what had 
happened, warmly congratulated me on my escape. All search 
for the assassin at that hour being deemed useless, we returned 
together to the house. The suspicions of the colonel and my- 
self pointed toward Mercier ; but, having no confirmatory 
proof, we. resolved to conceal our opinions for the present, and 
content ourselves with adopting precautionary measures against 
a similar attempt. 

Lieut. Yancey soon called upon me, and insisted upon super- 
intending the arrangement of my little comforts. He had 
nearly recovered from his wound in the right arm ; and point- 
ing to his left, which he wore in a sling, said, " You see, sir, 
I am still on the list of non-effectives : therefore you can avail 
yourself of my proffered services without the fear of encroach- 
ing upon my military duties." 

I would not hurt his feelings by refusing his request ; and 
soon his voice was heard in and about the premises, authorita- 
tively demanding every thing requisite for my complete accom- 
modation. 

About a week elapsed, during which the general's wound 
had fully healed ; and in the daily preparations he was making 
to receive our army, then advancing to besiege Corinth, he 
appeared to have utterly forgotten me, and the hopes of liberty 



332 PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES. 

whicli had been held out to me. Col. Game was absent at 
luka, and bis return was uncertain : and, heartily tired of a 
life of unaccustomed inaction, I became uneasy and dejected ; 
nor could the persevering solicitude of Yancey and bis inex- 
haustible gaiete de cceur suffice at all times to relieve my 
depression. 

In this frame of mind I would frequently wander into the 
suburbs of the little town to a grove of trees that had been 
spared from the fate of all the others in the vicinity by orders 
from headquarters, prompted by a recognition of the necessity 
that would soon exist for firewood and timber nearer the cen- 
tre of the place than the surrounding forest when it should be 
beleagured by our advancing forces. A few log-cabins stood 
here and there around it. Here, screened from observation, as 
I imagined, by the friendly shelter of the huge tree-trunks, I 
indulged my dark fancies, and even suffered my ideas to roam 
beyond the bounds of this sublunary world ; and, for a brief 
space, forgot the sad reality of my captive state. The grove, 
disturbed by no other sound than the sighing of the wind 
through its vaulted aisles, as it seemed to float in undulating 
sound, in its gloomy grandeur accorded with my soul's melan- 
choly. Once, while in one of these reveries, I was suddenly 
aroused by the approach of footsteps. A figure muffled in a 
homespun cloak advanced, and, thrusting a slip of paper in 
my hand, hastily retreated, and was quickly lost in the gloom. 
Surprised at the incident, and anxious to ascertain the purport 
of the mysterious scroll, I bent my steps towards the outer 
skirting of the grove, and read as follows : — 

"Do the chains of the rebels sit so easy on thy limbs that 
thou wishest to continue in bondage ? If not, and if thou wilt 
break thy fetters, meet the writer of this at the rear of the 
cabin nearest the grove to-morrow at midnight. Burn this ! " 

There were certain mystic characters rudely traced on the 
paper, the meaning of which I did not understand j but I 



THE MAJOR'S STORY, 333 

knew at once that tlie missive came from some one of those 
secret societies which had sprung up throughout the South, 
since the breaking-out of the great civil war, under various names. 
Some of these circles were formed to aid the Confederacy in 
the attempt to set up a government of their own within the 
limits of the United States; others had for their object the 
protection of the Union men of the South who adhered to 
the government of their fathers ; while still others were insti- 
tuted for the protection of deserters from the military conscrip- 
tion ordered by the Eichmond government, which was and is 
exceedingly unpopular throughout Secessia, as you all probably 
know. 

Having carefully perused the paper, I deposited it in my 
vest, and hastened to my quarters, where I learned with satisfac- 
tion that Col. Game had retired to rest. Seated in my apart- 
ment, I sought the missive, intending to burn it as requested ; 
but it was not to be found. 

I was greatly alarmed.* I might have dropped it where it 
would have been picked up by some one belonging to the gar- 
rison : its import would evidently direct suspicion toward my- 
self. My situation was a critical one ; but I could do nothing : 
I could only await events. 

Eesolving, however, to try to recover the lost missive early 
the next morning, I threw myself on my couch ; but sleep for 
man}'- hours refused to visit my eyelids, and daylight found me 
wearied in body, and agitated in mind. I rose, however, with 
the dawn, and hurried to the grove, traversed its paths with 
rapid steps, and searched in every direction for the lost paper, 
but without success. 

Bitterly execrating my carelessness, I returned home in a 
state of mind bordering on despair. Yancey was present at 
breakfast, which had been prepared under his auspices, but ex- 
pressed no surprise at my early absence ; although I remarked 
that he was more than usually attentive to my wants, — al- 



334 PUFFS FROM PICKET- PIPES. 

most officiously so. As the thief sees an officer in every bush, 
so I trembled at every sound : the slightest noise, to my per- 
turbed imagination, seemed the precursor of my arrest ; and I 
hailed with pleasure the close of a day which seemed to me the 
longest I had ever known. The evening passed away less heav- 
ily. Yancey successfully exerted himself to dissipate my melan- 
choly. About ten o'clock I escaped from the kind assiduities 
of my grateful friend by pleading an inclination for repose. 
When alone, I began seriously to consider my situation. The 
note of the stranger proffered me the means of enfranchise- 
ment : if these means proved such as I could in honor avail 
myself of, my duty to the cause I had embraced imperatively 
demanded my acceptance of them. I decided, therefore, to 
keep the appointment, and to let the result of my interview 
with the secret emissary govern my subsequent course. While 
I meditated on the uncertainties that lay before me, two hours 
almost imperceptibly slipped away : the hands of my watch, 
placed before me on the table, now indicated the last quarter. 

I sprang up, wrapped my cloak around me, and, having 
extinguished the light, silently descended to the street. A 
few minutes' walk brought me to the designated spot; and 
the dark and indistinct outline of a human form beneath the 
overhanging gable told me that my mysterious correspondent 
was punctual. After a brief greeting, he told me in a low voice 
to follow him, as the place was ill adapted to the nature of our 
conference ; and that he would conduct me to another, where 
we should be at least safe from casual interruption. I assented. 
My conductor led me by a circuitous route, studiously avoiding 
the principal streets, through several narrow and filthy outlets, 
to the western extremity of the town. Here we stopped amid 
the ruins of some cabins that had been once used for barracks, . 
and afterwards deserted. 

"We are now," said my guide, "near the spot I spoke of; 
but, as you are not one of the initiated, it is requisite that 



THE MAJOR'S STORY. 805 

for a short time you should submit to have your eyes band- 
aged." 

I did not offer any objection to this proposal. My pride 
would not allow me to recede, since I had gone so far in the 
adventure ; and, having been blindfolded, my conductor caught 
me by the hand, and guided my steps. It was difficult to walk 
in this manner ; and I found the path in which I was led both 
rugged and intricate. The distance, however, was short, 
apparently; and in about a quarter of an hour the stranger 
again halted, and struck three distinct blows upon a resonant 
surface with a stone, or perhaps the hilt of some weapon of 
oifence. A hollow, almost sepulchral voice inquired, — 

" Who comes there ? " 

My guide replied, — 

'' Uncle Sam ! " 

" Long live the Kepublic ! " was the rejoinder. 

We now descended half a dozen steps; when I discovered, 
by feeling with my hands, that we had entered a subterraneous 
passage, the sides of which were damp. It was not of great 
extent, as a few moments brought us into a freer air. Here I 
learned from my conductor that our journey had terminated. 

He removed the bandage at the same time ; and I saw that 
we were in a tolerably spacious vault, or cellar, partially illu- 
minated by a lamp hung from the roof by an iron chain. Im- 
mediately under it was a rude table, round which, on coarse 
wooden benches, were seated six persons, enveloped in coarse, 
loose garments of dark homespun, which effectually concealed 
their figures ; while all had their faces hidden by black masks, 
the harhes of which fell almost to their waists. 

One, who seemed to act as secretary to this secret conclave, 
had several papers before him, and a pen in his hand, which I 
presumed was to be employed in taking notes of the examina- 
tion to which I was evidently about to be subjected. 

My guide pointed to a stool, intimating that I might be 



336 PUFFS FROM PICKET- PIPES. 

seated; and, having whispered a few words to the chief person 
who appeared to preside, took his place, masked like the others, 
at the tahle. The chief then began his interrogatory by de- 
manding of me my name, place of nativity, and my residence 
and rank. I instantly replied to the first and second ques- 
tion ; and was about to answer the third, when my interlocutor 
said, — 

" Spare yourself, sir, the pain of equivocating : we know that 
you are adjutant of the Sixth Illinois Cavalry, United-States 
Volunteers, and also the motives which induced you to assume the 
character of a surgeon : the stratagem was allowable, although 
its adoption unfortunately defeated a plan that would have 
essentially benefited the cause you have sworn to support. It 
is, however, in your power to retrieve the opportunity you were 
the innocent instrument of destroying." 

" Put me to the test ! " said I eagerly. " If the action be an 
honorable one, the dread of death shall not deter me fi:om 
essaying if 

" E-eserve this display of enthusiasm till the occasion comes 
to prove its reality," resumed the speaker of the conclave. " At 
present, you are enjoined to listen in silence to any communi- 
cation we may think necessary to intrust you with ; and, lest 
you should question our authority, learn that we derive it from 
the purest sources, — the voice of the persecuted Unionists of 
the State of Mississippi, which has nominated us to the legis- 
lative body secretly established in the mountains that surround 
us. An important blow at the Confederacy was meditated 
that would have paralyzed the secessionists, and redeemed the 
State from thraldom. Fortune seemed to favor its execution. 
The daring patriot to whom its execution was intrusted al- 
ready saw within his grasp the glorious reward which his zeal 
would have merited from a grateful nation. At this moment 
you appeared, like a baleful planet, to wither his hopes, and blast 
his design. Mercier had " — at this name I started with agi- 



THE MAJOR'S STORY. 337 

tation — " sworn to immolate our tyrant at the slirine of his 
country's freedom, and was about to redeem his oath, when 
you " — 

" Great God, I thank thee," I fervently ejaculated, starting 
from my seat, glowing with indignation, "that thou hast 
made me the instrument of defeating the assassin's purpose ! " 

" Peace, fool, nor interrupt me with your cant ! " vociferated 
the wily casuist, who evidently used his inflated language to 
conceal even to himself the vileness of his excuses for a cold- 
blooded murder. "Know that the end often sanctifies the 
means : that which you term assassination is but retributive 
justice. We have no time, however, to waste in words. Mer- 
cier, through your means, has become an object of suspicion: 
any further attempt on his part would be madness. You are 
bound to supply his place. Daily opportunities present them- 
selves. E-ank, riches, and freedom are the result of your com- 
pliance ; death, inevitable death, the consequence of your 
refusal. Pause ere you decide ! " 

" My choice is already made," I calmly answered. " I would 
suffer a thousand deaths rather than owe my life to such con- 
ditions. I cannot see how you can offer such a base alterna- 
tive to an honorable soldier. Do you pause, sir, and these 
gentlemen too, before you sully our glorious cause with such 
treachery ! '' 

" Perish, then, in your obstinacy ! " exclaimed a hitherto- 
silent member of the conclave, at the same time drawing a 
bowie-knife, and springing to the spot where I stood unarmed. 

I felt that the crisis of my fate approached, and collected 
niyself for a final effort. Practised in all athletic exercises, 
I quickly en^neloped my left fore-arm in my cloak, and received 
the assassin's thrust unhurt; while a straightforward blow from 
the shoulder with my right arm dashed off the mask of my 
assailant, and levelled him to the earth. His features were 
those of the malignant and bloody-minded Mercier. To seize 

29 



338 PUFFS FROM FICKET-PIPES. 

his knife, which he had dropped, and place myself in a pos- 
ture of defence, was the work of an instant. Like a stag at 
bay, I resolved to sell my life dearly. I had, however, fearful 
odds to contend with ; for six knives, formidable as my own, 
in the hands of as many infuriated demons, gleamed before 
my eyes. 

The conspirators would not use fire-arms, because the reports 
would have betrayed them. At the instant before the threat- 
ened attack, a loud crash was heard ; and the assassins stood 
transfixed with astonishment. A rush of footsteps followed ; 
and, in another second, the vault was filled with confederate 
soldiers, at the head of whom I recognized Col. Game and 
Lieut. Yancey. The seven conspirators were removed to the 
city prison. We returned to the quarters ; and I then learned 
from the confederate officers the following particulars : — 

Yancey had noticed my depression of spirits, and, fearing it 
might lead me to the commission of some rash act, decided upon 
watching my movements. With this view he had followed 
me to the grove, in which, concealed behind a tree-trunk, he 
had witnessed the delivery of the secret note, which, being sub- 
sequently found, made him acquainted with the hour and place 
of interview. At this he likewise contrived to be present, and, 
having traced the stranger through all the labyrinths of his 
route, arrived shortly after him at the ruined barracks. The 
intricacies of the path, which impeded my progress and that 
of my guide, favored his concealment ; and, screened from obser- 
vation by the logs and rubbish that lay in the road, he managed 
to reach the entrance to the vault just in time to catch the sig- 
nal and countersign. Possessed of these, and having noted 
the exact spot, he returned to the town to appris'e the military 
authorities. On his way to the office of the commandant 
of the place he met Col. Game, who had just arrived, and to 
wiiom he made known his errand. 

jSTot an instant was lost in mustering a special patrol from 



THE MAJOR'S STORY. 839 

the main guard, which, as has been seen, having forced an 
entrance, arrived just in time to save me from destruction. 

The sequel is soon told. At an early hour the next morn- 
ing a military commission assembled in Corinth by command 

of Gen. B , before which the seven prisoners were arraigned. 

On the evidence of the papers seized in the vault they were 
found guilty of treason to the Confederate States, and of being 
spies within their lines, and unanimously sentenced to death. 

I was also tried as a participant, but only for form's sake, 
and fully acquitted ; the evidence showing that I had mani- 
fested the strongest abhorrence of the proposal made to me. 

Corinth being then in a state of siege, the stern require- 
ments of military law called for the instant execution of the 
sentence, which was carried into effect within two hours after 
its promulgation. I was released without exchange in conse- 
quence of the services I had performed, and received the 
thanks of the general. Col. Game and Lieut. Yancey went 
with me to the federal outposts ; at which I was delivered up 
under a flag, and rejoined my regiment. 

After the capitulation of Corinth to our army, and a conse- 
quent temporary lull in the military operations in that quar- 
ter, I obtained a short leave of absence, and visited my home 
in Missouri. 

Here the worthy major hid his face in his hands, and seemed 
terribly affected by some inward emotion. After a little while 
passed in perfect silence by the whole circle of officers in 
respect to his evident grief, he resumed : — 

I will refrain from distressing you, gentlemen, with the 
details of the irreparable and heart-rending misfortunes that 
had fallen upon me. Suffice it to say, that I found my home 
a desert, my house destroyed by fire,- my flocks and herds dis- 
persed no one knew whither, and my wife laid by stranger 



840 PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES. 

hands in a distant churchyard. Soon after, my children died 
one by one; and I am left alone again in the world. All 
this unutterable distress I owed to those incarnate fiends, the 
Jayhawkers. 

The major rose from his seat, and strode out into the dark- 
ness. We soon lost sight of his tall form, but could trace his 
path by the clattering of his long sabre as he made his way 
towards a retired spot, doubtless to indulge his favorite habit 
of melancholy revery. 

We all now stretched ourselves on our straw to enjoy a little 
sleep, without taking off our clothes, arms, or accoutrements ; 
our horses, in charge of the orderlies, picketed near, ready sad- 
dled, as is the custom on picket-duty. But our slumbers were 
of short duration. I was first aroused by the dropping fire of 
the cavalry outposts and vedettes far away in the front of our 
infantry pickets : this was succeeded by the crack of the latter'a 
pieces ; and these again, after a brief interval, by the more 
regular and sustained fire of the reserves of the grand guard. 

I then knew it was an attack in force, or at least a forcible 
reconnoissance ; and sent information to the camps in our rear. 
The whole force of about two brigades was soon engaged with 
the enemy ; and I again sent for re-enforcements, which soon 
arrived ; and the enemy, having succeeded in ascertaining the 
position and force of our picket-guard, withdrew after a smart 
action of about two hours, in which our line suffered some 
losses. 

I then rode to the front to re-establish the line, and to recon- 
noitre, in my turn, the battle-field ; passing the many dead and 
wounded, who were already being removed to the hospital in the 
ambulances, or taken to the rear by their comrades for burial 
in a nameless grave. 

The confederate dead lay thick in a ravine, the possession of 
which had been hotly contested. Emerging from this, myself 



THE MAJOR'S STORY. 341 

and staif came upon a little elevated plateau that had been the 
scene of a charge of our cavalry upon the confederates. 

As we reached a group of bodies, a young officer uttered 
an exclamation ; and I saw stretched dead upon the ground 
the fine athletic figure of the major of the Sixth Illinois 
Cavalry. He had been pierced through the heart by a rifle- 
ball ; and his features wore a placid expression that seemed 
to indicate satisfaction with the manner of his death. Near 
him, and just in his front, lay the corpse of a confederate 
officer, his head cloven by a sabre-stroke. 

The artillery-officer was riding by my side, and dismounted 
to look at the features of the dead confederate. "Leonard 
Mason ! " said he. " This is the end of my poor school-fellow ! " 
And he could hardly conceal his emotion. Death atones for 
all errors ; and let us hope, that, in this case, it was a relief to 
both the wrecked gamester and the unfortunate man who had 
evidently slain him by a strange fatality. 

29* 



THE GENEEAL'S STORY. 

LORITO; OR, THE AVENGER. 

ALMOST my first military adventure in the service which 
I had entered — the Mexican army — occurred at Quere- 
taro, — a city since made famous by the execution of the unfor- 
tunate Maximilian, and his two unlucky generals, Miramon 
and Mejia. 

Miguel — or, as he was then universally called, Miguelito — 
Miramon was, indeed, one of my pupils in the military school 
at Chapultepec, and noted, even at that early age, as a youth 
of uncommon spirit and genius. 

A day after my arrival on a mission from my chief, the presi- 
dent of the republic, to whom I was then acting as aide-de- 
camp, I remarked to a friend that I had never heard the 
human voice so perfectly imitated as by a fine parrot who 
passed his time on a roost, or perch, outside a house opposite 
my lodgings, on the great square, or plaza. 

My friend agreed with me in my opinion, and, informing me 
that there was a history connected with the bird, invited me to 
accompany him on a visit to his owner, who, although the pos- 
sessor of a magnificent huacamaya and several other fine 
specimens of the family of the psittacidce, seemed to value his 
little ordinary lorito more than all of them. 

About four years since, said Don Manuel, — in answer to 
my request for his story, — my brother left us for the northern 

842 



THE GENERAL'S STORY. 843 

frontier to fight tKe savages ; and the poor lad left to me Lorito 
as his last bequest. " Should I return," said he, "you will give 
him back to me : if not, keep him for a remembrancer ; and, 
should he die, have him stuffed, and still preserve him in 
memory of me." I promised, and have kept my word. Lorito 
is still in my house ; and, notwithstanding his age, which I do 
not know exactly, he appears to be likely to survive not only 
his first, but also his second master. I was at that time 
engaged in commerce ; and, shortly after, receiving intelligence 
of the death of my poor brother, who was killed by the Indians, 
was compelled to depart for Havana on business of some im- 
portance. I resided then in this house, at that time the prop- 
erty of my aunt, who had living with her as companion a young 
girl, an orphan without kin, whom she had reared from a child, 
and to whose care I left Lorito, with many charges to take pains 
with his health and education. 

I had not then ceased to look upon Engracia — which was 
the orphan's name — as other than a child, although perfectly 
aware of the sweetness of her disposition, and of the promise 
of great beauty she bore in form and feature. On my return, 
which was within a year, I was astonished by the loveliness of 
Engracia, which, as is common in our climate, had rapidly de- 
veloped during my absence. I was also most agreeably sur- 
prised at hearing my parrot call my name, saying in a clear 
and audible voice, " Viva Manuel ! " — a salutation taught him 
by the amiable orphan. 

I was obliged to leave again very soon for Havana, and this 
time regretted more than before the necessity that compelled 
my departure ; for, during my short sojourn, I fully appreciated 
all the good qualities of the beautiful girl. During the voyage 
from Vera Cruz, I found myself often asking whether Engracia 
was not the companion destined for me by Heaven, in case I 
was favored by fortune, and was able to return again to reside 
in my native city. I brooded long over the fact, that, when the 



344 PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES. 

time came for my adieus, my old aunt pressed me in a long 
embrace ; while Engracia presented her cheek, which was rosy- 
red, then grew instantly pale; and that she supported herself 
by the wall, as if unable to stand, — a parting quite different 
to our first, at which she showed no emotion. 

Of course I wrote regularly to my aunt, and never omitted 
to add some message for Engracia, who I knew read the letters 
to the old lady. At last, I wrote directly to my sweetheart, as 
I now considered her, begging her to keep my secret even from 
her benefactress, and telling her the day would soon come 
when we would mutually confide to the old lady our plans and 
hopes for the future. She loved me, for she gave her assent' 
to my desire ; and, if this was a fault, the poor child cruelly 
expiated it. After our correspondence had continued for some 
time, I thought it my duty to conceal the affection I felt for 
Engracia from my aunt no longer ; and wrote to her that I 
cherished the design of making her my wife. This letter was 
unanswered. The poor old lady was already grievously ill 
when it arrived, and, indeed, died a few days after. 

On her death-bed she embraced Engracia, and made known to 
her the contents of the letter. At any other time joy would have 
pervaded her heart ; but now she bowed her head, and was silent. 
The dying woman then asked her if she knew of my love for 
her; and she acknowledged that she had known of it for some 
time. In answer to the questions of the old lady, she owned 
that she returned my love, and divulged the secret of our clan- 
destine correspondence. My aunt listened benevolently, and 
charged the orphan to marry me, and to make me happy. 
Then, telling her that the thought of our union made her die 
content, she bade her adieu in the most affectionate manner, 
and asked for a notary to be sent to her bedside. Having dic- 
tated new testamentary dispositions as to her property, the 
notary gave place to the priest ; and then began the death- 
agony. My aunt died that night. Her illness had been a 
short one. 



THE GENERAUS STORY. 345 

Engracia wrote and despatched a letter, urging me to return 
immediately ; but the ocean mails were tedious, and I did not 
receive it for a long time. 

It was three months at least, after the decease of my aunt, 
that I learned the sad news from the orphan's letter ; and even 
then my business was in such a condition, that it would have 
been ruinous to me to leave Havana without arranging it satis- 
factorily to myself and others. 

Five months elapsed from the time of my aunt's death before 
I again set foot in Queretaro. 

Meantime seals had been placed upon the movable property 
of the defunct, and her estate was unsettled ; but I was named 
her universal legatee, except a small life-annuity to Engracia, 
which was her dower. The young orphan still resided in the 
house of my aunt, in which she passed her time while attend- 
ing to her religious and charitable duties, as usual, and awaiting 
my return ; her sole attendant being an aged female. 

Let us not forget Lorito. Engracia still kept the poor bird, 
who maintained his position in the perch outside the window 
looking on the plaza, amusing the inmates of the house and 
the passers-by with his mockery of all the sounds he heard, 
and his persistent havardage, rounding off his sentences usual- 
ly with a loud " Viva Manuel ! " 

There is usually a large garrison kept in Queretaro, and the 
plaza is frequently used as a place of exercise. Lorito became 
acquainted with the braying of cornets, the rolling of the 
drums, and could distinctly repeat the commands given by the 
drill-ofScers to the recruits daily exercised on the square beneath 
him. His " Carry arms ! " " Present arms ! " &c., was the daily 
wonder of the loungers on the plaza. Notwithstanding that 
Engracia lived a solitary and unobtrusive life, only going out 
to church, or to visit the tomb of my aunt to pray, gloomy 
days were in store for her. 

There was in the garrison a young officer, a notorious liber- 



346 PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES. 

tine, the son of a rich and influential family of Mexico, who 
had already distinguished himself by the profligate dissipation 
of a handsome patrimony. This officer, strolling one day near 
the cemetery, met the beautiful orphan, where she had gone to 
pray, and was struck with her elegant tournure, her graceful 
walk, and princess-like bearing. Although he could not dis- 
tinguish her features, partly concealed as they were by a long 
and voluminous rehoso, he followed her, and even accosted her 
in an almost deserted street. 

Engracia deigned not either to turn her head or to hasten 
her steps, opposing to the bold advances of the lieutenant the 
most disdainful silence. She had not even the air of noticing 
his presence ; while he continued to dog her steps, meanwhile 
pouring into her ear all sorts of commonplaces. 

Engracia continued her walk homewards calmly, secure in 
the safety of the streets at noonday, and entered her house as 
if nothing had happened to annoy her : so that his barrack 
phrases of admiration fell upon deaf ears. 

His trouble was not, however, entirely lost ; for at least he 
had learned the residence of the beautiful incognita. In a 
place like Queretaro, it is not difficult to obtain all the other 
needful information about a lovely woman who has struck one's 
fancy ; and the result of his researches in this direction was 
quite satisfactory to this vulgar Lovelace. He resolved, cost 
what it might, to bring to reason the haughty orphan, and to 
punish her disdain. 

He made his plan at once, pushed a reconnoissance into the 
enemj^'s place itself, took account of the feeble resistance she 
could oppose to him, and resolved to risk the assault. 

No one ever could explain the means he took to enter the 
house without observation ; but he did so one evening, passed 
into ihQ patio, — court-yard, — and, climbing a tree, got access 
to an empty apartment in the second story. 

This room was separated from that of Engracia only by a 



THE GENERAL'S STORY. 347 

door in a partition. Old Antonia, who was deaf as a post, slept 
quietly on the ground-floor ; and the invader knew she could 
scarcely hear thunder. 

On this evening Engracia was not asleep : she was reading 
m}^ letters, she says, for the hundredth time. Hearing a slight 
noise, she tremulously cried out, "Is it you, Antonia?" think- 
ing it might be her nurse. No answer was returned. 

Although gentle, timid even, Engracia did not lack courage. 
She took up her candle, saying to herself it was only her 
duena, bravely opened the door separating the two rooms, and 
almost dropped the light on seeing the young officer. 

" Who are you, sir ? " she cried in as commanding a tone 
as she could assume ; " and why are you here ? " 

The lieutenant took the candlestick out of her hand, and 
placed it on a table ; then, smiling on the young girl, said, — 

" You deigned not to listen to my protestations of love in 
the street ; and I admit you had reason ; for, undoubtedly, you 
wished me to understand that the place was very badly chosen. 
So I have found it necessary to come here without leave ; for 
it would not have been granted, probably, had I asked it, 
ignorant as you must be of the ardent and sincere love I bear 
for you, and which I now avow, as well as that I have been 
forced to take this step." 

" Sir, you most unworthily and cowardly abuse my condi- 
tion, knowing that I am alone and unprotected ; but I can yet 
make myself respected, even by you ! As to what you call your 
love, know, sir, that I am the affianced of a man of honor, 
who, should he learn of your insult to me, would compel you 
to account to him for this odious proceeding ! " 

" Ha, ha ! " laughed the officer. " And who is this happy 
mortal who pretends to dispute so adorable a beauty with 
me ? " 

" Viva Manuel ! " cried the parrot, awakened by the sudden 
flash of light, dancing on his perch at sight of a stranger. 



348 PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES, 

"Ah ! he calls Manuel. Now, I will lay any odds that he 
has heen taught that name by yourself," said the intruder. 

" Go away, sir, or I will cry out ! " returned the young girl 
with energy supplied by terror. 

" Oh, no, indeed, my beauty ! What ! leave without having 
manifested all the passion I feel for you ? You cannot mean 
it?" 

" You wish, then, to bring scandal on my good name," said 
the girl in an appealing tone. " Sir, you will compromise 
me without accomplishing your unworthy intentions ! Go, 
sir, I pray you, in the name of your mother, in the name of 
your sister, if you have one ! " 

The officer, still smiling, made an attempt to pass his arm 
around her waist, and to draw her to him. Engracia recoiled; 
but the officer advanced, and succeeded in seizing the affiL^ighted 
and unnerved young girl. She cried aloud at this outrage, 
which was the signal for the parrot to make outcry loud 
enough to wake the dead ; but old Antonia slept on. 

Engracia redoubled her screams, and the parrot his un- 
earthly clamor. 

"Devilish bird!" muttered the lieutenant angrily: "he will 
certainly cause the old woman to come up here ! " And, curs- 
ing the poor bird, he dealt it a violent blow with his fist. 

Engracia sought refuge in a corner, clasping her hands: 
her choking throat could no longer give voice to a call for help. 
The young man walked towards her, took her hands in his, 
and even dared to attempt to kiss her pale lips. Suddenly he 
imagined he heard a noise ; and, before he could decide whether 
it was reality or an illusion, the parrot redoubled his cries 
vehemently. " To hell with thee, infernal bird ! " said he, tear- 
ing him frora his perch, and launching him forcibly from the 
window by which h© had obtained entrance into the apart- 
ment. 

The poor cre^|ti;re, hurled rudely by a vigorous hand, obeyed 



THE GENERAL'S STORY. 349 

the impulse like an inert object, and, without the power of 
opening his wings, fell into the garden near the wall of the 
house. Chance, or Providence, guided its fall close to the win- 
dow near old Antonia's bed, who was, however, more awakened 
by the vibration of the room overhead than by either the cries 
of Engracia or those of the parrot, although the latter's were 
redoubled in a more piercing tone than before, being this time 
cries of pain. " What's the matter, senorita ? " asked the old 
woman, opening her shutters. " Help, help ! " cried Engracia 
as loud as her strength permitted. 

The audacious libertine now understood that the game was 
up for him this time. " I leave you now, senorita," said he 
with suppressed rage: "but I will find you again; and, if 
you resist or complain, I swear I will kill you ! It is for 
your interest to keep silence as to what has passed here, if 
for no other reason, to assure the safety of your handsome 
Manuel." 

Saying these words he ran to the window, passed out, and, 
seizing the branch of the tree by which he had ascended, let 
himself to the ground. In another instant he had disappeared 
from the enclosure. 

Antonia, having at last climbed to the room of her mistress 
by the stairs, found poor Engracia in a dead faint on the 
floor, having succumbed to the loss of strength and nervous 
prostration. The next day she had a burning fever, was de- 
lirious, and lay for some days in imminent danger. Old Anto- 
nia summoned the doctor, and cared for and nursed the poor 
girl as if she had been her own daughter. Meanwhile no one 
cared for poor Lorito, who had his wing broken by his sudden 
and violent expulsion from the apartment of his mistress. 
How was he cured ? That is an ornithological secret : but 
cured he was ; and, about a week after, Engracia faintly smiled 
at hearing the old cry, " Viva Manuel ! " 

I must now tell you why the lieutenant did not execute his 



350 PUFFS FROM PICKET- PIPES. 

terrible menace. ^^ I will find you again/' said he, with flashing 
eyes, to Engracia ; but he had never again sought her. 

After leaving the house, he went to a supper at which he 
knew he should find his comrades. The guests were all sober 
enough when he arrived ; but he, irritated by his failure, and 
mad with spite, began to drink inordinately. He was a little 
dashed at first ; but, as the wine raised his spirits, he became 
communicative, then loquacious, and finished by recounting 
all the details of his rash attempt, concluding by reiterating 
in a drunken voice his threat to Engracia, — "I will find her 
again ; " adding in a maudlin tone, " And, the next time, I will 
not fail." 

" You will do no such thing, sir," said an officer calmly. 

"You are jesting, I think," said the first. 

" You shall not commit an infamous deed which will recoil 
on the whole of us. You shall not dishonor your uniform by 
ruining this poor child. Anyhow, it is a cowardly act ; and I 
forbid it ! " said the officer. 

These noble words were warmly applauded by all present 
with voice and gesture. 

But the lieutenant, stung to the quick, and more than half 
drunk, retorted, — 

" Is it a captain, or a capucin, that presumes to address me 
in this manner ? Are we listening to a sermon ? or are we at 
a feast ? " 

The captain rose, and his friends followed his example. 
" Let him get over his potations," said he, unmoved. " He is 
now drunk. To-morrow he will be reasonable; and he will 
regret his words, and, yet more, his mad, silly threats." 

" I shall do nothing of the sort ! " roared the lieutenant, his 
eyes fairly bloodshot with rage. Moreover, I will soon show 
you whether I am drunk or not ! " 

So saying, he drew his sword, and rushed upon the captain. 
The latter easily parried the thrust with his arm, and, by a 



THE GENERAL'S STORY. 351 

rapid turn of tlie wrist, seized tlie blade the miscreant would 
have buried in his body, and disarmed him. The others then 
threw themselves upon the lieutenant ; and he was dragged 
away, hurling curses upon them all. 

The aftair became known, and the commanding-officer of 
the garrison placed the lieutenant before a court-martial. In 
some cases, doubtless, the offence might have been treated 
with some leniency ; but this man had the most deplorable 
antecedents, which prevented the court from softening the 
rigor of their sentence. 

Several times he had been punished for grave infractions 
of discipline, and had only succeeded in obtaining his epau- 
let by an act of distinguished bravery. Moreover, the au- 
thorities deemed it necessary to respect the opinion of the 
civihans, who regarded the sanctity of their dwellings as 
something not to be lightly violated by those who should have 
been foremost in protecting it. In this case the sentence of 
the court-martial was death ; the prisoner's insubordination 
having been great, and his offence aggravated by repetition. 

A relative high in office at the capital interceded for mercy, 
and brought powerful influence to bear in his behalf. The 
president refused, at first, either to pardon him or to commute 
the sentence ; but finally decided to spare his life, but to 
bound his clemency. He ordered the colonel commanding 
the place of Queretaro to come to the city of Mexico, and com- 
municated his will to him, directing him at the same time to 
preserve it a profound secret. 

The condemned was to suffer military degradation, and also 
all the apprehension of execution : only, at the moment of 
giving the last command, the officer of the firing-party should 
not pronounce the word " Fire ! " 

The guilty person was then to be sent to the Castle of 
Perote to be immured in a cell, or to join a company of disci- 
pline composed of malefactors to labor on the public works, 



352 PUFFS FROM PICKET- PIPES. 

or be sent to fight the Indians in the North, as should be 
hereafter decided. 

Meanwhile my poor Engracia convalesced slowly ; but, as 
her health was re-established, consciousness of the past 
returned, and she was the victim of a deep melancholy. 
*^ He will find me," she said ; " and, when he does, he will 
execute his terrible threat. But, even if he does not, how 
can I conceal from my affianced husband all the outrage and 
violence to which I have been subjected? It would be dis- 
loyal in me to do so ; for I should have no secrets from him 
who has the right to all my love, as I wish, in turn, to feel 
myself entitled to all his esteem. And how can I meet 
without blushing and trembling the man who has dared to 
sully my lips with his kisses ? 

" Oh ! should I find myself some time with him in a saloon, 
for instance ! Horrible ! " 

Lorito, perched on his stick at the window, seemed to 
understand this monologue ; for he uttered loudly his comment 
upon it, — " Viva Manuel ! " 

Meanwhile I was sailing over the waters of the Gulf, long- 
ing to reach my native land, and thinking the swift steamer 
that bore me onwards more slow than a clumsy Dutch galliot. 

The day of the military execution, in conformity with the 
sentence of the court-martial and its supposed approval by 
the president, arrived at last ; and the garrison assembled on 
the plaza of the city, upon which, as you may see, the front 
windows of our house look down. The hollow square was 
formed, and the condemned was escorted into its centre. 
Pirst the sentence and its approval was read in a loud voice 
by the staff-adjutant; then came the military degradation, — a 
punishment yet more terrible to a soldier than the swift death 
which was to follow. At last, the priest, who had not left the 
side of the condemned, embraced and quitted him, and the 
firing-platoon took their station under a lieutenant. 



THE GENERADS STORY. 353 

The doomed man bore himself bravely, and with the cour- 
age of our race. He begged to be allowed to die with his eyes 
unbandaged, and earnestly desired to give the command to 
fire. The colonel commanding granted the first request, but 
refused the last for good reason. 

The silence of the plaza was oppressive, broken at last by 
the harsh, quick command, "Ready!" "Aim!" "Fire!" fol- 
lowed in quick succession. The twelve muskets made but one 
report, and the unhappy culprit fell face forward on the stones 
of the plaza : several bullets had entered his heart, and death 
was instantaneous. 

As the last command rang out, the colonel put spurs to his 
horse, uttering a sharp cry ; and the gallant beast made but 
one leap towards the officer commanding the firing-party. 
The rider was pale as the corpse before him ; and so was the 
officer, who stared into his colonel's face blankly, unmindful 
of the uplifted sabre he bore. 

" Desgraciado ! " (" Unfortunate man ! ") " why did you 
command ' Fire ! ' contrary to my express orders ? " 

"I, colonel? I did not command ' Fire !'" answered the 
officer, completely nonplussed. 

The deathlike silence again prevailed, soon suddenly inter- 
rupted by a clear, trumpet-voice crying, "E-ecover arms!" 
" Present arms ! " 

It was Lorito, who commanded the military exercise, as 
was his wont, from his perch at the window. 

He it was who had cried " Fire ! " He had avenged Engra- 
cia. 

In a few days I learned of this scene from the lips of my 
affianced in this house. Sighing, I pressed her to my heart, 
assuring her that to me she should always be the angel of 
purity I had so often dreamed of, and bidding her never again 
to blush before any one. 

The poor wretch who would have dishonored us has expi- 

30* 



854 PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES. 

ated his crime. May God forgive him ! Our marriage was 
celebrated soon after my arrival ; aud I have this boy, who was 
named for his father, " in order," says Engracia, " that, when 
Lorito salutes us with his favorite cry, I may not know 
which one he means." 

Seated in the xaduan (hall) of my new acquaintance, I lis- 
tened to this short and simple tale; at the conclusion of which 
the parrot took up the word, as the Spaniard says, and repeat- 
ing a long rigmarole of military commands, drum-beats and 
rataplans, bugle-blasts, and a verse of a song, made an end 
with " Viva Manuel ! " 



MONTE; OK, THE ROBBEES. 

Scene. — The " Sociedad," — a private club-house on the Great Square 
of the city of Mexico. 

Present. — Several loungers ; myself, seated at a window looking on the 
square, sipping chocolate. 

Enter Don Eusebio Lancry, a gay young Erenchman, — in American par- 
lance, a " sport,'' — many years a resident of Mexico, whom I invite to 
seat himself at my table. 

Don Eusebio. — Ah, mi colonel! I know you are about 
to ask me where I have been for the last few weeks, and shall 
be most happy to relate to you my experiences for that time, 
or since I last saw you. 

Myself, — It will give me much pleasure to listen, knowing 
you seldom say any thing not instructive or amusing : besides, 
I have heard that you had "fallen among thieves " lately. 

Don Eusebio. — You have been rightly informed. I never 
again expected to enjoy this pleasure, I assure you. I will 
tell you all about it. 

Well, some weeks since, I started for Vera Cruz, on business, 
and, returning, was captured by the salteadores of the camino 
real, and taken into the mountains near Plan del Rio. 
There I was stripped and searched: my repeater, a fine 
Breguet, was appropriated ; and, finding only about ten ounces 
in money in my pockets, the rascals, enraged at my foresight, 
tied me to a tree, preparatory to putting me to death, because 
they could not find a more ample booty. 

855 



356 PUFFS FROM PICKET- PIPES. 

Myself. — And liow did you escape from these gentlemen 
of the road ? 

Don Eusehio. — Just as I had given up all hope of ever 
revisiting my dear native land, or of seeing yourself and my 
other friends again in this world, and was endeavoring to recall 
some of the prayers of my childhood, the leader, or captain, 
of the band rode up ; and I instantly put in a strong appeal to 
his sympathies, and, above all, to his desire for revenge, not 
that of blood, but of money. It was lucky, indeed, for me that 
the captain was the well-known K-afael Hernandez, an old 
acquaintance ; and our recognition was mutual. We had last 
met at the great diiniusl fiesta of San Agustin, which, as thou 
knowest, is the occasion for meeting every one of our 
acquaintances, and the true Olympian games of this silly 
Mexico. 

It so happened that I had there encountered Don Rafael, 
and that our meeting resulted in a skirmish at monte, in 
which he lost a hundred golden ounces, which he paid on the 
spot like a true cahallero. 

He was quite another man, clad in the riding-dress of a 
ranchero, and surrounded by uncouth and rude brigands. 
Then he had been at San Agustin, where he was attired in the 
newest French mode, and accompanied by gay and beautiful 
ladies, to whom he handed out his gold to bet for him, on 
account of their better luck, with the most negligent and 
dashing air possible. 

*' Now, Don Eafael," said I, " can you not save me from the 
hands of these gentlemen, your subordinates, and, I doubt 
not, most honorable friends ? " 

" I have every disposition to do so, my dear Don Eusebio," 
returned this chivalrous rascal ; " but " — 

" Ah ! " thought I, " there is a ' but.\'' 

" In our fraternity we have certain rules which even I 
dare not transgress, even to prove the sincere friendship I feel 



MONTE J OR, THE ROBBERS. 357 

for you. One of these rules is, that nothing can be done by a 
member of our honorable society for the individual benefit of 
any single one of us, but that every step taken among us shall 
be for the good of the whole association. Unless, then, you 
can show me, that, by saving your life, I shall thereby confer 
an advantage on the whole partida, I must, disagreeable and 
wretched as it will make me, leave you in the hands of 
these gentlemen to do as seemeth best to them. True it is 
that this decision, to which I have consented only from a 
sense of its necessity, which has no law, irks me exceedingly 
in your case, inasmuch as I well remember, that, at our last 
interview, you promised me my revenge for the hundred 
bright ounces I lost to you at San Agustin. Those shiners 
I should like much to win back ; but I see no way of doing so, 
as you have now no capital wherewith to commence a bank." 

His last words restored my equanimity, and re-established 
my confidence in my own resources. I now saw my way 
clear out of my difficulties, resolving to at once practise upon 
the all-absorbing passion of the sons of the country for gam- 
ing. I immediately addressed Don Kafael thus : — 

" My dear compadre, it is ill arguing with a man who has 
been tied to a tree, fasting for two mortal hours : induce these 
gentlemen, then, in whose faces I see already the evidences 
of a relenting spirit, to liberate me from my bonds on my 
parole not to attempt escape (this would have been impos- 
sible under the circumstances, but I made a great merit of 
offering it), and I will contrive a means of gratifying your 
very laudable desire, contribute to the amusement of your 
friends, and probably increase the funds in the military chest 
of your amiable troop. Without the least peradventure, I am 
confident of achieving the laudable object contemplated in the 
rule you mentioned, without causing its infraction by your- 
self" 

The gang agreed to the proposition, and, I may say with 



358 PUFFS FROM PICKET- PIPES. 

pardonable vanity, placed itself in my hands. Pen, ink, and 
paper were produced : and my first step was to draw upon the 
banking-house of Escandon & Co. for a thousand dollars, at 
thirty days' sight ; which draft I made Hernandez indorse as 
security for my appearance in person, alive, before its arrival 
at maturity, half down, and the balance in three weeks, or 
sooner if required. 

The note, with a letter, was despatched at once by a mozo 
well mounted, who returned on the following day with the 
money. We all then adjourned to a small and secluded 
rancho in the hills, and I opened my bank in due form. All 
entered zealously into my plan, which they said would enable 
them to amuse themselves finely while awaiting the opportu- 
nity for some new exploit in the way of their profession. 
Don Bafael was eager for his revenge ; and the contest began. 

I can truly assure thee it was the keenest encounter of wits 
I ever experienced in this country, in which my practice in 
this line has not been small. At the first seance, thirty-six 
hours were spent without sleep, and almost without tasting 
food. Drink was out of the question ; and, luckily, there was 
none within reach of the rancho. At the expiration of that 
time, my nerves had become so tense, owing to the attention I 
was forced to give to the game, that I greatly feared a brain 
or nervous fever. With a little respite, however, I pulled 
through, and, much relieved, began again, single-handed, the 
fight against this band of devils, headed by the arch-fiend 
Hernandez. Finally, after a struggle perfectly unexampled 
in all my play at games of hazard, my Caucasian constitution 
and temperament triumphed over the mixed and mongrel 
organization of the modern Mexican ; and, after four days and 
four nights of arduous exertion, I was declared the victor. 

I won back not only the amount I had originally invested 
in the monte bank, my watch, and the small sum I had been 
robbed of by the villains, but also their own spare cash, — very 



MONTE; OR, THE ROBBERS. 859 

little, to be sure, — half a dozen indifferent horses, and the deed 
of a house and garden in the city of Puebla (which I shrewdly 
suspect is mortgaged for its full value), a bag full of opened 
letters rifled from the diligences, a gold-headed cane, a case of 
surgical instruments, the wardrobe of a travelling actress, and 
a splendid lace cap and cloak that has served at the christen- 
ing of some baby of wealthy and aristocratic parentage. 

After the battle had been won, my mind was at ease ; for I 
knew that these gentlemanlike scoundrels would religiously 
observe the sanctity of their gambling-debts ; and I lay down 
on the hard hide bedstead of the poor rancho, leaving my 
stakes on the table we had used for play, without a doubt 
of their perfect security. 

I was saved ; and for full twenty-four hours I slept, uninter- 
ruptedly, the sleep of the just. 

I awoke restored in mind and body ; partook of chocolate 
prepared by a nice-looking moza, who acted as the Dona 
Leonarda of the brigands ; and ordered up one of my horses. 
I then magnanimously divided among the robbers all the 
property I had won from them, generously adding a couple 
of hundred dollars of the five hundred received from the house 
of Escandon & Co. 

At parting I received the congratulations of the band, with 
thanks for the amusement I had afforded them, and promised 
one and all that I would gladly give them their revenge in 
case of our meeting again. I then mounted and took the 
road hitherwards, piloted as far as the camino real by one 
of the bandits. I arrived only yesterday, and me voila ! 

I do not know why the rascals did not hold me to ransom, 
which they might have done, and reaped, perhaps, a large 
pecuniary benefit ; but I suppose the high stakes for which I 
played — my life and liberty — added so much to the excite- 
iiu lit of the game, that it possessed a corresponding attraction 
lor them. 



6 f 5^ 
(30 

860 PUFFS FROM PICKET-PIPES. 

I most fervently hope, however, that I may never renew my 
acquaintance with Mexican hrigands, or repeat my game of 
monte under the like circumstances ; for all my strength was 
required to support the strain upon my mental faculties and 
nervous system, and never before did I so much feel the need 
of perfect repose as at this moment. 

The sense of honor displayed by Hernandez and his band, 
any of them being ready to cut my throat in an instant with- 
out remorse at ordinary times, forcibly reminds me of the 
hero of one of your finest poets, — a man 

"Of one virtue, and a thousand crimes." 



